Microstructural and multiferroic properties in layered perovskite-related Sm6Ti4Fe2O20

Layered perovskite-related Sm6Ti4Fe2O20 compound was successfully synthesized through the intercalation of bilayer SmFeO3 into the Sm2Ti2O7 with pyrochlore structure by means of floating-zone melting technique. The microstructural properties were characterized using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Electron energy-loss spectroscopy investigation reveals that the Fe3+ ions prefer to occupy the inner sites within the perovskite-like layers. This compound exhibits clearly the spin glass-like behavior as demonstrated by the magnetic properties measurement. Such complex magnetic behavior could be attributed to the partial chemical order of Ti/Fe over the B sites and the interactions between magnetic ions including Sm3+ and Fe3+. In addition, the multiferroic behavior with the coexistence of the ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism was well established by magnetic and piezoresponse measurements.