Structural, dielectric and magnetic properties of rare earth doped multiferroic Bi0.90RE0.10FeO3 ceramics

Abstract

Polycrystalline BiFeO₃ (BFO) and Bi_0.90RE_0.10FeO₃ (RE = Dy, Gd, Ho and La) ceramics have been synthesized by standard solid-state reaction method. The effect of rare earth doping on the structural, dielectric and magnetic properties of the BiFeO₃ multiferroic perovskite was studied. X-ray diffraction pattern revealed that all the samples showed rhombohedral perovskite structure. In the vicinity of the antiferromagnetic Néel temperature (T_N), an anomaly in the dielectric constant (ε) and dielectric loss (tan (d)) was observed. Magnetic hysteresis loops measured at 300K indicated weak ferromagnetism in RE³⁺ substituted BiFeO₃ ceramics. The room temperature magnetic moment at 7T was found to increase with rare earth ions.