Neutron diffraction, Mössbauer and ferroelectric studies on magnetoelectric Pb0.9Bi0.1Fe0.55Nb0.45O3

Abstract

Pb0.9Bi0.1Fe0.55Nb0.45O3 (PBFNO) multiferroic materialwas synthesized through single step solid state reaction method with low sintering (800 °C for 3 hour) temperature. Single phase was confirmed through the X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Neutron diffraction (ND) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) measurements. Rietveld refinement was performed on room temperature (RT) XRD and ND data by considering monoclinic structure with Cm space group. The obtained cell parameters from the refinement of ND data are a = 5.666(3) Å, b = 5.667(4) Å, c = 4.017(2) Å and β = 89.943(4)° and are in good agreement with the XRD refinement data. The RT Mössbauer spectroscopy was used to investigate the magnetic ordering of PBFNO and it shows the paramagnetic behavior with the presence of Fe3+ states. RT ferroelectric (P-E) loops confirmed the existence of ferroelectric ordering in the PBFNO. The RT ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic properties are the evidence of magnetoelectric coupling.