Analysis of the environmental magnetic noise rejection by using two simple magnetoelectric sensors

We have evaluated the performance of a classical differential technique to reject magnetic or, in a lesser extent, the vibrational coherent noise sources sensed by two identical magnetoelectric (ME) laminated sensors with the help of a data logger. The signals of two ME sensors were directly subtracted given highly homogeneous external noise. Through a signal processing technique, the intrinsic noise of the ME sensor systems was obtained to be 20 pT/√Hz with a rejection factor of the external homogeneous noise sources of 20. The latter is mainly limited, as theoretical described, by the incoherent noise and discrepancy between the sensors. To demonstrate the efficiency of this technique by using ME sensors, internal noise tests were also performed in a magnetic shielding chamber for individual ME sensor and shown to be close to that of the sensors in an open environment.