Multiferroic properties of nanocrystalline BiFe1−xNixO3 (x=0.0-0.15) perovskite ceramics

Ni doped BiFeO3 (x=0, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.15) nanocrystalline ceramics were synthesized by the solution combustion method (SCM) to obtain optimal multiferroic properties. The effect of Ni doping on structural, morphological, ferroelectric, magnetic and dielectric properties of BiFeO3 was studied. The structural investigations by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern confirmed that BiFe1−xNixO3 ceramics have rhombhohedral perovskite structure. The ferroelectric hysteresis measurements for BiFe1−xNixO3 (x=0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15) compound at room temperature found to exhibit unsaturated behavior and presents partial reversal of polarization. The magnetic measurements demonstrated an enhancement of ferromagnetic property due to Ni doping in BiFeO3 when compared with undoped BiFeO3. The variation of dielectric constant with temperature in BiFe0.9Ni0.1O3 and BiFe0.85Ni0.15O3 samples evidenced an apparent dielectric anomaly around 350 °C and 300 °C which corresponds to antiferromagnetic to paramagnetic phase transition of (TN) of BiFeO3. The dependence of room temperature dielectric properties on frequency signifies that both dielectric constant (ε) and dielectric loss (tan δ) are the strong function of frequency. The results show that solution combustion method leads to synthesis of an excellent and reproducible BiFe1−xNixO3 multiferroic ceramics.