Structural and multiferroic properties of Bi0.885Sm0.115FeO3

The structural, vibrational, ferroelectric, and magnetic properties of monophasic and highly crystalline pure BiFeO3 and Bi0.885Sm0.115FeO3 solids as prepared by standard solid-state reaction route were reported. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirmed the rhombohedral R3c structure of both BiFeO3 and Bi0.885Sm0.115FeO3 ceramics. Rietveld refinements of XRD data revealed that the doping ions lead to unit cell contraction in three directions due to lower ionic radii of Sm3+ ion (0.96 Å) substituted at higher ionic radii Bi3+ ion (1.03 Å). The room temperature ferroelectric and magnetic hysteresis loops present the coexistence of magnetism and ferroelectricity in a single phase. The ferroelectric hysteresis loops exhibit an unsaturated behavior and represent a partial reversal of polarization at room temperature. Besides, this the room temperature magnetization measurement leads to an appearance of weak ferromagnetism.