Effect of Ba and Mn doping on microstructure and multiferroic properties of BiFeO3 ceramics

•Pure perovskite phases of Ba, Mn doped BiFeO3 ceramics were synthesized.•Detailed structure analysis was characterized by XRD and Raman Spectroscopy.•Introduction of Ba and Mn ions enhances ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism of BiFeO3.•Ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism of BiFeO3 modulated by doping content and ratio of Ba and Mn ions.

Ba, Mn single and co-doped BiFeO3 ceramics were prepared by combination of solid-state reaction and rapid sintering method. Enhanced ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties were observed in Ba, Mn co-doped ceramics. Large remnant polarization (Pr∼40.87 μC/cm2) for Bi0.9Ba0.1FeO3 and large remanent magnetization (Mr∼0.834 emμ/g) and coercive field (Hc∼938 Oe) for Bi0.95Ba0.05Fe0.9Mn0.1O3 were acquired, respectively. The analysis of structure and valence measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectrum and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) show that an appropriate doping ratio of Ba and Mn ions in BiFeO3 (BFO) plays an important role in facilitating microstructure distortion and transition, which are favorable for enhancing ferroelectric properties of BFO ceramics. Furthermore, the existence of Fe2+ and Mn4+ ions in BaMn co-doped BFO contributes to the ferromagnetic property. These results demonstrate that ions co-doping is an effective way to modulate the room-temperature ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties for multiferroic applicability of BFO.

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