Microfabricated magnetoelastic sensors and actuators: Opportunities and challenges

Magnetoelastic transduction is an inherently wireless technique that does not require any onboard power; thus it offers considerable opportunities in both sensing and actuating microsystem applications. However, the technique is relatively young in its development and solutions to miniaturization and integration challenges are still emerging. This paper details some of these challenges, including material choice, design, and interrogation methods. Additionally, it describes recently reported applications of magnetoelastic sensing and actuation highlighting approaches for meeting these challenges while taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the technique.