Effect of Ba and Mn doping on microstructure and multiferroic properties of BiFeO3 ceramics

Ba, Mn single and co-doped BiFeO3 ceramics were prepared by combination of solid-state reaction and rapid sintering method. Enhanced ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties were observed in Ba, Mn co-doped ceramics. Large remnant polarization (Pr similar to 40.87 mC/cm(2)) for Bi0.9Ba0.1FeO3 and large remanent magnetization (Mr similar to 0.834 em mu/g) and coercive field (Hc mu 938 Oe) for Bi0.95Ba0.05Fe0.9Mn0.1O3 were acquired, respectively. The analysis of structure and valence measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectrum and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) show that an appropriate doping ratio of Ba and Mn ions in BiFeO3 (BFO) plays an important role in facilitating microstructure distortion and transition, which are favorable for enhancing ferroelectric properties of BFO ceramics. Furthermore, the existence of Fe2+ and Mn4+ ions in BaeMn co-doped BFO contributes to the ferromagnetic property. These results demonstrate that ions co-doping is an effective way to modulate the room-temperature ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties for multiferroic applicability of BFO. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.