Abstract
Magnetostrictive alloys are promising materials for realizing vibration energy harvesting technology, as they enable us to convert kinetic energy to electric energy. These materials are used as smart materials for actuators and sensors. Among these materials, iron based magnetostrictive alloys are attracted since they reveal the superior magnetic properties such as large magnetostriction and high permeability, as well as the good mechanical properties. The present paper describes the present status and prospect of these magnetostrictive alloys. In particular, the physical properties such as elasticity and magnetostriction of iron-gallium binary alloys are overviewed.
