Effect of Sm, Co codoping on the dielectric and magnetoelectric properties of BiFeO3 polycrystalline ceramics

► Sm and Co dopants significantly decreased the grain sizes of BFO ceramics from the SEM images. ► The dielectric constant of Bi0.95Sm0.05FeO3 measured at 10 kHz was about forty times larger than that of pure BiFeO3. ► The values of ME effect of Bi0.95Sm0.05Fe1−xCoxO3 samples can be enhanced by doping Sm3+and Co3+. ► Maximum ME effect as high as 4.2% observed at x=0.05 (Bi0.95Sm0.05Fe0.95Co0.05O3).