Electrical conductivity and current-voltage hysteresis behavior of BiFeO3 doped PVA nanocomposite film

Abstract

Multiferroic Bismuth Ferrite (BFO) nanoparticles of average crystallite size 52 nm and BFO doped PVA nanocomposite film have been synthesized by sol gel method. Variation of DC conductivity follows Arrhenius formalism with activation energies 0.22 eV and 0.14 eV whereas Mott’s VRH model provides the good fit with average hopping energy 3.56 eV at 340 K. Correlated barrier hopping was found to be the dominant charge transport mechanism with maximum barrier height 55 meV above room temperature. Current-voltage study of this sample exhibits hysteresis loop under ±50 V applied voltage.