Authors
Abstract
Single phase Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3, BFO) nanoparticles (particle size ~ 50-100 nm) were synthesized by a novel chemical sol-gel technique. The detailed microstructural analysis has been performed through HRXRD, HRTEM and FESEM techniques. The nanoparticles are found to crystallize with distorted rhombohedral structure having R3c space group. The dielectric constant and tan δ loss are found to vary monotonically with temperature measured at different frequency ranging from 1 kHz to 1 MHz. The M (H) hysteresis behavior at 5 K reveals weak ferromagnetic nature of the BiFeO3 nanoparticles having coercivity (Hc) ~ 720 Oe and magnetization (Ms) ~ 1 emu/g at 5 T from SQUID measurements. The multiferroic character of BFO nanoparticles is confirmed through magnetoelectric response. The typical value of magnetodielectric response is observed to be 0.4% at 4300 Oe at room temperature at a frequency of 1 kHz. All the results suggest that the BFO nanoparticles are technologically very promising as far as magnetoelectric properties are concerned.
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