Magnetic Sensors: Principles, Methodologies, and Applications

The necessity for magnetic sensors has evolved rapidly in the recent preceding decades for diverse applications. Various sorts of sensors can directly detect physical properties such as temperature, humidity, and pressure and deliver an output signal associated with the intended parameters. Contrary to these sensors, magnetic sensors monitor the fluctuations in magnetic fields pursued by surrounding objects or events. The magnetic sensors provide data on the direction, rotation, and electrical current and convert them to the corresponding output voltage. Due to the feasibility and wireless response, magnetic field sensors are included in robotics, the automobile industry, magnetic recording, target tracking, human body biomagnetic measurements, and much more. This chapter introduces the background behind the magnetic sensing process and its basics. Afterward, the desired materials for the magnetic sensors are surveyed. The coverage of famous magnetic sensors like the magnetic tunnel junction sensors, giant magnetoresistance sensors, and planar Hall effect sensors is covered. The key parameters for evaluating the performance of the sensor such as exchange bias, sensitivity, and detection limit are highlighted in this chapter. Finally, major industrial and medical applications for magnetic sensors are implemented. This chapter overviews the concepts of magnetic sensors from background to applications and can provide a valuable piece of work for upcoming nanotechnological applications on a wide spectrum.