The magnetostrictive response of a Terfenol-D pellet was measured via a laboratory-based X-ray diffractometer. X-ray diffraction patterns were collected from the pellet sample with and without the presence of an applied magnetic field (~30 mT) generated by placing a large magnet under the pellet. A standard reference material, Silicon 640c, was employed as an internal standard. Magnetostriction values of 323 and 227 ppm Δl/l were determined for the (104) and (110) indexed peaks, respectively, assuming a rhombohedral structure for Terfenol-D. A threshold noise level value of ~20 to 30 ppm Δl/l was suggested based on before/after measurements in the absence of the applied field. No clear evidence of domain wall rotation was detected via changes in relative intensities of diffraction peaks in the presence of the applied magnetic field.

A 2-2-type nanostructure bilayer film of CoFe2O4/Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 was successfully prepared on the (111)Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate. The Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 layer in the bilayer film is (111) oriented and is a mixture of tetragonal and monoclinic phases. The results from an in situ X-ray diffraction analysis of the multiferroic bilayer film under statistic magnetic field indicate that the monoclinic-tetragonal phase transition was induced by magnetostriction of the CoFe2O4 layer. A large magnetoelectric effect was obtained probably because of the different polarization directions of the tetragonal and monoclinic phases.

A conceptual numerical strategy for rate-independent processes in the energetic formulation is proposed and its convergence is proved under various rather mild data qualifications. The novelty is that we obtain convergence ofsubsequences of space-time discretizations even in case where the limitproblem does not have a unique solution and we need noadditional assumptions on higher regularity of the limit solution.The variety of general perspectives thus obtained is illustrated on several specific examples: plasticity with isotropic hardening, damage, debonding, magnetostriction, and two models of martensitic transformation in shape-memory alloys.

Recent topics in the development of micromagneticactuators in Japan are reviewed. Electromagneticmicroactuators less than 1 mm in diameter, e.g.micromotor, and microvalves have been fabricated andtheir high performance has been demonstrated. A newtype microactuator based upon magnetostriction has alsobeen developed and has shown a large cantileverdeflection. In addition, some models of the microrobotsusing micromagnetic actuators were able to move using awireless remote power supply.