Magnetic shape memory microactuator

TL;DR

This paper presents a magnetic shape memory microactuator made from a NiMnGa/Platinum bilayer, capable of controlled bending at a constant temperature for potential biological and nanomanipulation applications.

Contribution

It introduces a novel microactuator design using a composite bilayer of magnetic shape memory alloy and elastic material, enabling magnetic-field-controlled deformation at a stable temperature.

Findings

Achieved 1.2% bending deformation with a 2-micrometer deflection.

Demonstrated controlled actuation at 62°C using an 8 T magnetic field.

Size of the microactuator is 25x2.3x1.7 micrometers.

Abstract

Bimetallic composite nanotweezers based on Ti2NiCu alloy with shape memory effect (SME) have recently demonstrated the ability to manipulate real nano-objects, such as nanotubes, and bionanoparticles when heated to 40-60 C by laser radiation. The possibility of developing nanotweezers operating at constant temperature is of particular importance mainly for the manipulation of biological objects. In this work, a microactuator was produced using a composite bilayer made of a layer of rapidly quenched Ni53Mn24Ga23 ferromagnetic shape memory Heusler alloy and an elastic layer of Pt. The size of the microactuator is 25x2.3x1.7 micro-meters3. A controlled bending deformation of the actuator of 1.2 %, with a deflection of the end of the actuator higher than 2 micro-meter was obtained by applying a magnetic field of 8 T at T = 62 C. The possibility of the development of new technologies for magnetic-field-controlled nanotools operating at a constant temperature using the new multifunction magnetic shape memory alloys will be discussed.