Effects of Mn doping on structural, dielectric and multiferroic properties of BiFeO3 nanoceramics

Undoped and Mn doped multiferroic BiFeO3 nanoparticles were synthesized by sol-gel autocombustion method. Structural studies on the samples were carried out by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, thermogravimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques. Dielectric and conductivity measurements on the samples have been made in a wide range of frequencies and temperatures. BFO sample exhibits typical dielectric behaviour whereas the Mn doped BFO sample shows anomalous dielectric behaviour which has been attributed to charge carrier hopping mechanisms initiated by structural inhomogeneities and formation of Bi/O vacancies. Ferroelectric and magnetic studies on the samples were made by the corresponding hysteresis loop measurements. The results indicate that the doping of Mn in bismuth sites in the BiFeO3, in spite of the enhanced conductivity, has produced considerable improvements both in remnant electric polarization (from 0.0811 to 0.6241 mu C/mm(2)) and saturation magnetization (from 0.53 to 2.54 emu/g) due to the enhanced magnetically driven distortion of spiral spin cycloid by the presence of Mn in mixed valance states. The improved ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties and the possible magnetoelectric coupling between the ferroic orders of the Mn doped BiFeO3 makes it suitable for magnetoelectric devices. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.