Amorphous wire delay lines used for magnetic field measurements

In this paper we report some results concerning the dependence of the pulsed voltage output on the exciting magnetic field and on the bias magnetic field applied at the exciting or receiving point, for Fe/sub 77.5/Si/sub 7.5/B/sub 15/ amorphous wires used as delay lines. The obtained results show a strong dependence of the pulsed voltage output on the values of the magnetic fields. Magnetic fields up to about 2000 A/m applied at the receiving point can be detected. Small magnetic fields applied at the exciting point can be detected using small values of the exciting magnetic field. Using this technique magnetic field sensors with high accuracy and sensitivity and absence of hysteresis can be realized. Such sensors can be formed in integrated arrays measuring the distribution of the magnetic field along the magnetostrictive delay line axis.