Effect of Gadolinium doping on structural, ferroic and electrical properties of 0.8BiGdxFe1−xO3-0.2PbTiO3 (x = 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20) composites

Abstract

The Gadolinium (Gd) doped multiferroic composites of 0.8BiGdxFe1−xO3-0.2PbTiO3 with x = 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20 were prepared by the conventional solid state reaction technique. The phase formations of the composites were checked by using X-ray diffraction technique and distorted rhombohedral structure was confirmed for all the composites at room temperature. The ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties were investigated by means of a computer based PE-Scanner and Vibrating- Sample Magnetometer (VSM) respectively. A significant change in the dielectric and magnetic properties were observed by the doping of rare earth (Gd). The dielectric and electrical properties of these composites were analysed by using an impedance analyser for a wide range of temperatures and frequencies (102–106 Hz). The impedance spectroscopy study confirms the presence of bulk effect only. The impedance plots obey non Debye type of relaxation for all the composites. The frequency dependent ac conductivity obeys Jonscher's universal power law. By applying the Correlated Barrier Hopping (CBH) model to ac conductivity data, the density of state at Fermi level and minimum hopping length has been estimated to understand the conduction mechanism within the composites.