Room temperature neutron diffraction, electron paramagnetic resonance and ferroelectric properties of relaxor ferroelectric Pb(Fe0.6Nb0.2W0.2)O3

Abstract

We report the evidence of room temperature (RT) antiferromagnetic and ferroelectric behavior of polycrystalline Pb(Fe0.6Nb0.2W0.2)O3 (PFNW) ceramic powder. The RT crystallographic, magnetic and ferroelectric properties of the ceramic powder prepared by a Columbite method, were characterized by through the neutron diffraction (ND), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and ferroelectric P-E loops measurements. The Rietveld analysis of neutron diffraction data confirm the PFNW exhibits cubic structure with Pm-3m space group and obtained lattice parameters 3.99273 (3) Å. Along with the nuclear crystallographic information, G type antiferromagnetic structure also probed from ND with the propagation vector k=[½ ½ ½]. However, along with the antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering of the Fe spins, we have observed the existence of weak paramagnetic kind of behaviour at RT through the EPR. The originated P-E loops are not intrinsic nature of the sample, it may be due the magnetization induced ferroelectric polarisation, and it is evidenced through the non – liner slim (relaxor kind) hysteresis loops. By corroborating magnetic and ferroelectric measurements, PFNW can be a RT potential multiferroic.