Characterisation of Multiferroic and Large Magnetoelectric Coupling in BFCO-PZT

Solid solutions of BiFeO3-ABO3 perovskite materials have been investigated to minimize the high electric leakage of BiFeO3, keeping strong polarization and enhancing the magnetization value in order to achieve stronger ME... [ view full abstract ]

Solid solutions of BiFeO₃-ABO₃ perovskite materials have been investigated to minimize the high electric leakage of BiFeO₃, keeping strong polarization and enhancing the magnetization value in order to achieve stronger ME response. However, in such single-phase systems the ME properties remain rather poor [1].

               Here, to achieve improvement of the ME response, a composite of 50% Co-doped BFO (optimized for ME properties), and 50% ferroelectric-piezoelectric Pb(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48Ti)O₃ (PZT) was realized and studied. Both BiFe_0.95Co_0.05O₃ (BFCO) and PbZr_0.52Ti_0.48O₃ (PZT) powders were synthesized using a conventional solid state method and 50-50 composites were obtained through sintering in a wide range of temperatures from 200 up to 1000 °C. Magnetoelectric and magnetic measurements were performed and correlated to structural characterizations using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy as a function of sintering temperature. Large improvement in ME values were observed for composites as compared to both pure BFCO and solid solutions of BFCO-PZT.

1. Shimakawa, et al., Materials 4, 153 (2011).