Frequency tunable RF filters via a wide-band SAW-multiferroic hybrid device

A device comprising:

• a piezoelectric substrate;
• a first set of electrodes on the piezoelectric substrate, wherein the first set of electrodes comprise first electrode fingers that are unevenly spaced apart from one another and which are set to convert an electrical signal having a first electrical profile to a surface acoustic wave (SAW);
• a second set of electrodes on the piezoelectric substrate, wherein the second set of electrodes comprise second electrode fingers that are unevenly spaced apart from one another and which are set to convert the SAW to an electrical signal having a second electrical profile less than the first electrical profile;
• and
• a ferromagnetic material on the piezoelectric substrate and positioned between the first set of electrodes and the second set of electrodes to create a SAW propagation path and to filter a SAW frequency that matches a ferromagnetic resonance frequency of the ferromagnetic material.

A method comprising:

• receiving an input radio frequency (RF) electrical signal in an input transducer electrode comprising unevenly spaced electrode fingers having unequal widths;
• converting the input RF electrical signal into surface acoustic waves;
• filtering the surface acoustic waves by interacting the surface acoustic waves with a magnetostrictive film to filter the surface acoustic waves that are at a ferromagnetic resonance frequency of the magnetostrictive film;
• converting the filtered surface acoustic waves into an output RF electrical signal in an output transducer electrode comprising unevenly spaced electrode fingers having unequal widths;
• and
• transmitting the output RF electrical signal.