Precise and real-time quantification of suspended magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) is essential for augmenting the efficacy of the present MNP-based lab-on-a-chip systems. Existing MNP quantification techniques use bulky external electromagnets, which make such techniques expensive, energy-inefficient, and result in significant side effects on the surrounding healthy tissues. Here, we report on the development of an infrared-driven, Ni/lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT) magnetoelectric (ME) heterostructure-based sensor that enables rapid assessment of the suspended MNPs in a fluidic environment without using an external magnetic field. The injected MNPs are captured by the generated magnetic field gradient of the Ni thin film. Subsequently, the optothermal-pyroelectric property of the underlying PMN-PT layer is utilized to quantitatively assess the MNPs' concentration. Under the incident infrared pulse at zero bias voltage, the device shows different transient photocurrent responses against varied MNP concentrations with a sensitivity of 0:29 nA mg (-1) ml and a response time of less than 2 s. Such a ME device can improve the efficacy of current ME-based lab-on-a-chip systems, where a single device can capture, manipulate, as well as quantitatively assess the MNPs efficiently for critical biomedical applications such as drug delivery, drug regulation, and hyperthermia.
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