Observation of magnetoelectric coupling in BiFeO3-(Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3) composites

• Multiferroic BiFeO3/Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3composites were prepared.
• The ferroelectric and magnetic properties of the composites were studied.
• The nanocomposite system exhibit electric field control of magnetization.

We investigated structural, magnetic and ferroelectric properties and magnetoelectric effect in bulk and nano composites of BiFeO3/PMN-PT. Scanning electron microscopy shows that BiFeO3 and PMN-PT phases makes solid solution in bulk composites while asymmetric grain growth was observed in nano composites. The nano composites show improved ferroelectric properties with well saturated hysteresis loops with saturation polarization (2Ps) ~23.5 µC cm−2. The magneto electric effect in nanocomposites was revealed by measuring the magnetic hysteresis loops of the same sample before and after electric poling. Magnetization results demonstrate exchange bias phenomenon in the poled composite sample. The observed ME interactions and exchange biasing makes these composites possible candidates for spintronics and sensor applications.