Research on Radiation Performance and Nonlinear Behavior of an Acoustically Actuated Antenna

The mechanical magnetoelectric (ME) antenna is a device that generates near-field radiation by acoustic actuation and has the potential to achieve air to sea and air to soil cross-media communication. This work established a nonlinear coupling model based on hysteresis electrostriction, magnetostriction, and Maxwell equations. The nonlinear and hysteretic behaviors of ME antennas with electric field, frequency, and polarization intensity are discussed. The near-field radiation behavior in this model accords with the characteristics of a magnetic dipole, which can provide a reference for the nonlinear research and parameter design of ME antennas. In the actual test, the ME antenna with resonant frequency in the range of 3–30 kHz is fabricated and the optimal volume ratio is found, which improves the unit performance. The ME antenna based on different piezoelectric materials shows that the nonlinear behavior of the ME antenna is closely related to the ferroelectric properties. Experiments show that the ME antenna based on PMN-PT single crystal has excellent near-field radiation performance, reaching 25 nT at 1 m.