Detect a weak magnetic field measuring only
1 / 10000000
of the surrounding strong geomagnetic field.
The new TDK MR sensor, Nivio xMR sensor, will detect extremely weak magnetic fields. What so far was possible only with highly complex equipment installed in some laboratories, namely to precisely measure fields on the order of one hundred-millionth part of geomagnetism, has now become feasible with much less effort.
TDK's "Nivio xMR sensor" is a compact, ultra-sensitive, ultra-low noise magnetic sensor which is developed by applying thin-film and spintronics technologies through its engagement in the manufacture of magnetic heads for hard disk drives (HDD). At anytime and anywhere, the Nivio xMR sensor can easily measure at room temperature, ultra-weak magnetic fields on a hundred-millionth part (Picotesla order) of the geomagnetic field, which was previously difficult to conduct without access to large facilities such as magnetic shield rooms and cryogenic cooling. We hope you will take advantage of these new magnetic sensing possibilities for a variety of applications and fields made possible by TDK ‒ the magnetic materials pioneer.
- 1Easily achieve high-accuracy sensing with similar performance to SQUID
- 2Wide variety of applications
- 3Excellent magnetic resolution and ultra-low noise characteristics
- 4Highly sensitive measurement even if there are obstacles such as metal, water, or soil
- 5Summary Easily measure with high accuracy on a research laboratory level, anytime and anywhere
Easily achieve high-accuracy sensing with similar performance to SQUID
Magnetic sensors are capable of non-contact sensing of objects and environments, which is a major feature unique to magnetic sensors. In our daily lives, magnetic sensors are used in ICT(Information Communication Technologies) equipment, automobiles, robots, drones, industrial equipment, and many other applications. The TDK Nivio xMR sensor is a revolutionary magnetic sensor based on the magnetoresistive (MR) element technology used in advanced HDD heads and other devices. It offers high sensitivity approaching that of superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) sensors in a compact, room-temperature, magnetically sealed design(delete this since we said no need for magnetic shielding above).
Wide variety of applications
The Nivio xMR sensor is a compact, ultra-sensitive magnetic sensor that can easily measure weak magnetic fields buried in magnetic noise such as geomagnetism and urban environment noise. It is expected to be used in a wide range of fields such as measurement, inspection, analysis, and evaluation, as well as general-purpose magnetic sensing and current sensing.
In particular, it is suitable for measuring weak magnetic fields distributed over a wide area, such as biomagnetic fields, underground resource, and obstructions detection, and high-precision navigation of various magnetic field sources. Furthermore, by arraying multiple sensors, these fields can be visualized.
Excellent magnetic resolution and ultra-low noise characteristics
Nivio xMR sensors are thin-film devices with a multilayer structure manufactured using a process similar to that used for semiconductor devices. The Nivio xMR sensor is composed of a bridge circuit with four sensor elements of uniform characteristics. By thoroughly eliminating noise emitted by the sensor elements and signal processing circuitry, it achieves a significant improvement in signal-to-noise ratio as well as extremely high magnetic resolution and ultra-low noise characteristics.
Highly sensitive measurement even if there are obstacles such as metal, water, or soil
Due to the physical properties of the magnetic field, the Nivio xMR sensor enables high-sensitivity measurement even if there are obstacles between the sensor and the measurement target, such as such as water or oil, non-magnetic metal like copper or aluminum boards, sand or similar. Thus, steel frames and reinforcing bars inside concrete, as well as the condition of steel structures located underground or underwater, can be inspected without contact. In the field of biomagnetic sensing, even weak cardiac magnetic fields can be measured while wearing clothes.
Summary Easily measure with high accuracy on a research laboratory level, anytime and anywhere
TDK's Nivio xMR sensor enables the same high-precision room temperature measurements anytime and anywhere, which was previously difficult to conduct without access to large facilities such as magnetic shield rooms and cryogenic cooling. Furthermore, it is not only humans for whom important information is contained in weak magnetic field fluctuations, but also objects and natural environments. As such, there is a potential to trigger problem-solving innovations in various fields. We hope the Nivio xMR sensor’s unique performance will be useful in your research, product development, and business.