Effect of Mn substitution on electrical and magnetic properties of Bi0.9La0.1FeO3

Polycrystalline samples of Bi0.90La0.10 (Fe1-xMnx)O-3 (x=0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20) were prepared using a novel mechanical activation followed by a conventional solid-state reaction technique. The formation of the desired materials was confirmed using x-ray diffraction. The electrical and magnetic properties of the materials were investigated at different Mn concentrations as a function of temperature. Both dielectric constant and loss tangent increased with the increase in Mn content in the system. The grain and grain boundary contributions have been estimated using impedance spectroscopy analysis. Both grain and grain boundary conductivity increased with a rise in temperature for all Mn concentrations. The value of activation energy for both grain and grain boundary is nearly the same, and decreased with an increase in Mn concentration. There is a systematic increase in the value of magnetization on increasing Mn concentration. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3158121]