Effect of Gd substitution on the crystal structure and multiferroic properties of BiFeO3

✍ Scribed by V.A. Khomchenko; V.V. Shvartsman; P. Borisov; W. Kleemann; D.A. Kiselev; I.K. Bdikin; J.M. Vieira; A.L. Kholkin

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 646 KB
• Volume: 57
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1359-6454
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actamat.2009.07.013

✦ Synopsis

The crystal structure, magnetic and local ferroelectric properties of polycrystalline Bi 1Àx Gd x FeO 3 (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) samples were investigated at room temperature. Gadolinium substitution was found to induce a polar-to-polar R3c ? Pn2 1 a structural phase transition at x % 0.1. Increasing the content of the substituting element suppressed the spontaneous polarization in Bi 1Àx Gd x FeO 3 , resulting in a ferroelectric-paraelectric Pn2 1 a ? Pnma phase transition at 0.2 < x < 0.3. The substitution caused the appearance of a weak ferromagnetic moment. The data presented are consistent with the hypothesis that the most effective way to induce spontaneous magnetization in antiferromagnetic BiFeO 3 seems to be related to A-site substitution by rare-earth ions with a large difference in ionic radius with respect to Bi 3+ . The effect of the magnetically active Gd 3+ substitution on the low-temperature magnetic properties of Bi 1Àx Gd x FeO 3 samples is also discussed.