Evidencing the magnetoelectric coupling in Bi_1-xNd_xFeO₃ compositions through ferroic characterizations

ABSTRACT

The study of multiferroic crystalline materials is of great technological and academic interest due to the correlation between their ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties. In this work, ferroic properties of Nd-modified (A-site substitution) BiFeO₃ (BNFO) compounds were studied. Ceramic compositions of Bi_1-xNd_xFeO₃ (x = 0.10 and 0.20) were obtained through a route that included high-energy ball milling, isostatic pressing (to obtain the ceramic shape) and sintering in air. The X-ray diffraction data showed that these compositions have a distorted perovskite structure, with relative densities reaching 93%. Dielectric measurements showed a frequency independent step-like relaxation for the Bi_0.9Nd_0.1FeO₃ composition and indicatives indications of thermally activated conduction processes for the Bi_0.8Nd_0.2FeO₃ composition. Magnetic studies showed a breakdown of the typical magnetic cycloidal structure of BiFeO₃.

KEYWORDS:

• BiFeO₃ composites
• A-site substitutions
• ferric properties

Funding

The authors would like to thank the Brazilian agencies funding CNPq (procs. 446565/2014-8 and 445837/2014-4) and CAPES (Procad 88881.0658506/2014-01 and 88881.068509/2014-01, PVE 88881.030465/2013-01, and PAEP 23038.002278/2015-84) for financial support. R.G. and A.S.B. acknowledge NSF/INAMM and ONR W911NF-12-1-0082 for financial support.