Magnetic field and temperature effect on physical properties of LaFeO3–Pb(Zr0.58Ti0.42)O3 multiferroic nanocomposites

Abstract

Magnetoelectric composites of xLaFeO3–(1 − x)Pb(Zr0.58Ti0.42)O3 (x = 0.2 and 0.3) have been prepared by pyrophoric reaction process. The observed room temperature magnetoelectric coefficient is enhanced with the increase of LaFeO3 content in nanocomposites. The maximum value of magnetoelectric coupling is found to be ∼1.5 mV/cm-Oe and ∼0.3 mV/cm-Oe, which may be due to the strain mediation of piezomagnetic phase and magnetodielectric property of the material. The frequency dependent AC conductivity at several temperatures indicates the thermally activated conduction process in the system. The electrical conductivity (both AC and DC) shows positive temperature coefficient resistance effect of the system where AC conductivity obeys Jonscher’s power law. It demonstrates the hopping mechanism via small as well as large polaronic conduction process in the system. Maximum change of magnetoimpedance (∼185%) is observed at a frequency of 100 Hz at room temperature. The observed magnetoimpedance effect can be explained considering the skin effect. The magnetocapacitance effect shows the maximum value (∼60%) at lower frequency regime at room temperature attributing the evidence of Maxwell–Wagner interfacial or space charge polarization in the sample. At room temperature the magnetic field dependent capacitance of these samples is corroborating the evidence of magnetoelectric coupling.