Structural, Energy Storage Analysis and Enhanced Magnetoelectric Coupling in Mn Modified Multiferroic BiFeO3

Abstract

The present work is focused on the structural, microstructural, dielectric, multiferroic properties, including magnetoelectric coupling and energy storage density analysis of Mn modified multiferroic BiFeO3 (BFO) samples. The samples were prepared via solid state reaction method. The structural and microstructural properties were investigated using powder x-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. The single phase of Mn modified multiferroic BFO was confirmed from XRD patterns which exhibited predominantly a majority phase of BFO. SEM micrographs indicated decrease in grain size and more homogeneous grain structure with the increase of Mn content into the BFO. A nonzero value of coercivity was obtained in the 5% Mn BFO (BFMO5) sample, which confirmed the antiferromagnetic to weak ferromagnetic change. Composition dependent P versus E ferroelectric hysteresis loop measurements confirmed the enhanced ferroelectric nature of the samples. An enhanced value of energy storage density (13.71 mJ/cm3 and 34.86 mJ/cm3) was achieved for BFMO3 and BFMO5 samples. The frequency dependent and magnetic field dependent measurements of P versus E hysteresis and dielectric anomaly near the magnetic transition temperature confirmed qualitative, as well as quantitative, magnetoelectric (ME) coupling, including the maximum value of ME coupling coefficient (α ≈ 3.36584 mVcm−1 Oe−1 at a field of 2696 Oe) obtained for the BFMO5 sample. Enhanced values of dielectric and impedance parameters were observed in the Mn modified BFO samples.