Δ E effect-enabled optomechanical magnetometers for DC magnetic field detection

Y Yi-Meng Gao (Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 , Beijing 100190,) J Jian-Fei Liu (Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 , Beijing 100190,) L Lin-Zhu Bi (Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 , Beijing 100190,) H Hongtao Yu M Min Wang X Xin Zhou Z Zu-Lei Wu (Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences 2 , Beijing 100190,) J Jincheng Li J Jian-Wang Cai (Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 , Beijing 100190,) B Bei-Bei Li (Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences 2 , Beijing 100190,) Z Zhi-Gang Hu (Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences 2 , Beijing 100190,)

Abstract

The detection of direct current (DC) magnetic fields is essential for applications including space exploration, marine monitoring, and seismic study. In this work, we demonstrate a cavity optomechanical magnetometer for DC magnetic field sensing, which integrates a magnetostrictive FeGaB thin film on a SiO2 microdisk resonator. By leveraging the ΔE effect in FeGaB, where an external magnetic field modulates the material's Young's modulus, the magnetometer achieves a minimum detectable DC magnetic field of 598 pT at a bias field of 3.1 mT. This sensitivity represents an improvement of nearly two orders of magnitude over previous optical microcavity-based devices. Furthermore, we experimentally demonstrate its capability to detect time-varying DC magnetic fields. The device operates at room temperature and offers advantages in compactness and mass-producibility, indicating potential for military surveillance, geological surveys, and pre-seismic phenomena study.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 128, Issue 8
Published February 23, 2026
ISSN 0003-6951
Publisher American Institute of Physics

Journal Info

Applied Physics Letters

American Institute of Physics

ISSN: 0003-6951 Physical Sciences

Authors (11)

Y

Yi-Meng Gao

Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 , Beijing 100190,

J

Jian-Fei Liu

Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 , Beijing 100190,

L

Lin-Zhu Bi

Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 , Beijing 100190,

H

Hongtao Yu

M

Min Wang

X

Xin Zhou

Z

Zu-Lei Wu

Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences 2 , Beijing 100190,

J

Jincheng Li

J

Jian-Wang Cai

Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 , Beijing 100190,

B

Bei-Bei Li

Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences 2 , Beijing 100190,

Z

Zhi-Gang Hu

Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences 2 , Beijing 100190,