Enhanced polarization and magnetization in multiferroic (1-x)BiFeO3-xSrTiO3 solid solution

The structural, magnetic and ferroelectric properties of the (1-x)BiFeO3-xSrTiO3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) solid solutions synthesized by a modified Pechini method are investigated. Structure phase transition from rhombohedral to cubic phase was found with x increasing from the X-ray diffraction pattern. Compared with antiferromagnetic BiFeO3 compound, BFST-x (0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) ceramics show ferromagnetism at room temperature, with their remnant magnetization (Mr) and coercive field (HC) strongly dependent on the content of SrTiO3. Moreover, appropriate SrTiO3 solution with BiFeO3 significantly reduces electric leakage and enhances electrical polarization. Among all the samples, the x = 0.2 samples shows the optimal ferromagnetism with Mr ～ 0.10 emu/g and the x = 0.3 samples the optimal ferroelectricity with Pr ～ 7.3 μC/cm2 at room temperature.

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► The XRD pattern exhibits a phase transition from rhombohedral to cubic.
► Leakage current is reduced， and FE property is much improved with Pr ～ 7.3 μC/cm2.
► Temperature dependence of ɛr is measured and peaks’ position shift with x changes.
► For x = 0.2 samples, The optimal FM behavior is observed with Mr ～ 0.10 emu/g.
► FM and FE transition is correlated to structural phase transition with x changes.