Structural, dielectric and magnetodielectric behavior of Bi3.15Nd0.85Ti3-x(Fex/2Crx/2)O12 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) ceramics

Abstract

This study explores the structural, dielectric, ferroelectric, and magnetodielectric (MD) properties of bismuth neodymium titanate ceramics co-doped with Fe and Cr ions (Bi3.15Nd0.85Ti3-x(Crx/2Fex/2)O12; x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4). X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed phase purity and revealed lattice distortions induced by the Fe/Cr substitution. Dielectric analysis demonstrated a reduction in permittivity and loss with increasing dopant levels, attributed to the limited dipole displacement in the modified lattice. Ferroelectric studies showed diminishing remnant polarization (2Pr) with increased doping, linked to the reduction in grain size and enhanced grain boundary pinning. Magnetic hysteresis (M − H) curves indicated the emergence of weak ferromagnetism, with non-saturating S-type loops, originating from canted spin interactions among Fe3+ and Cr3+ ions. BiT-2CrF (x = 0.2) emerged as the standout composition, exhibiting the highest magnetoelectric coupling coefficient (γ = −17.90 (memu/g)−2) due to its optimized balance of lattice distortion and multiferroic interactions. These results position BiT-2CrF as a promising candidate for advanced multiferroic memory devices, leveraging its synergistic dielectric and magnetic properties. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l.