Effects of La content on the magnetic, electric and structural properties of BiFeO3

• We synthesized Bi1−xLaxFeO3 (BLFO) with x=0, 0.1, 0.15 and 0.2 by co-precipitation.
• We highlighted the role of La on the magnetic, electric and structural properties.
• La improved the magnetic and dielectric properties.
• Microwave sintering improved the bulk density and other properties.

Nano-powders of Bi1−xLaxFeO3 (BLFO) with x=0, 0.1, 0.15 and 0.2 were synthesized by co-precipitation. The as-synthesized powders were characterized by the X-ray diffraction analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer. The dielectric constant and loss factor of the bulk samples were tested between 12 Hz and 1 MHz by an inductance–capacitance–resistance (LCR) meter. The structural studies showed that the La-doping increases the asymmetry and decreases the second phases noticeably. The magnetic measurements revealed that the La improves the magnetic properties mainly due to the spin cycloid distortion. Furthermore, the La-doping enhances the dielectric properties as a result of the reduction in the Fe2+ ions and oxygen vacancies. The microwave sintering method led to the enhancement of ferroelectric properties due to the higher densities of the sintered samples.