Magnetostriction Oscillators

The present paper describes a newly discovered method of using magnetostriction to produce and control electrical and mechanical frequencies of oscillations in a range of frequencies extending from a few hundred cycles per second to more than three hundred thousand cycles per second. The method involves the interaction of the mechanical vibrations of a magnetostrictive rod and the electric oscillations of an electric circuit in such a way that the electric currents in the circuit stimulate the rod to longitudinal vibration by magnetostriction and the vibrations of the rod react by magnetostriction on the electric circuit to maintain constancy of frequency. The constancy of frequency obtained compares favorably with that obtained with the piezo-electric crystal oscillators. For ease of construction and operation the magnetostriction oscillator has a great advantage over the piezo-electric oscillator, particularly in that the construction and adjustment of the magnetostriction vibrators is so simple that large numbers of standards of frequencies all operable with the same electrical circuits may be had at small expense. The magnetostriction oscillators supply a particularly pressing need in the range of frequencies below twenty-five thousand cycles per second in which range crystal control is impractical on account of the expense of obtaining sufficiently large crystal vibrators. In the range between twenty-five thousand cycles per second and three hundred thousand cycles per second the magnetostriction oscillators and the crystal oscillators have a common field of usefulness.