Room-temperature giant magnetotranstance effect in Y-type hexaferrite Ba0.8Sr1.2Co2Fe11.1−xAl0.9CrxO22 (x ≤ 0.4)

We have investigated the magnetoelectric effect of a series of Y-type hexaferrite Ba0.8Sr1.2Co2Fe11.1−xAl0.9CrxO22 (x ≤ 0.4) at room temperature. Although the magnetoelectric voltage coefficient αE of these multiferroic hexaferrites is not high, it changes rapidly with an applied DC magnetic field, a phenomenon known as the giant magnetotranstance (GMT) effect. It is found that the GMT effect is enhanced with increasing content of Cr and reaches the maximum for x = 0.2. Specifically, the magnetotranstance ratio in the x = 0.2 sample is as high as −96% at 2000 Oe and −84% at 500 Oe. Further addition of Cr content causes a decay of the GMT effect. This kind of room-temperature GMT effect in Y-type hexaferrites opens up a route toward practical applications for the single-phase multiferroics.