Simultaneously enhanced ferroelectric and magnetic properties of SrTiO3-modified Bi0.88Sm0.12FeO3 ceramics

In the present study, SrTiO3 was selected to enhance the multiferroic characteristics of Bi0.88Sm0.12FeO3 (BSF) ceramics. With increasing SrTiO3 content, the principal phase of BSF ceramic transitions from rhombohedral R3c to Pna2(1). Through DSC and dielectric analysis, it was observed that both the Curie temperature and N & eacute;el temperature decreased proportionally with the augmentation of SrTiO3 content. When x = .1, the optimal ferroelectric performance is achieved, and the highest remanent polarization value is 55.47 mu C/cm(2), significantly surpassing that of BSF ceramics. Moreover, the PFM test results showed that as the substitution content increased, the domains in the BSF ceramic gradually transformed from normal ferroelectric domains to polar nanomicro-domains. Magnetic and magnetoelectric results show that when x = .1, the best magnetic properties are obtained, M-r = 59.7 emu/mol. The magnetoelectric coefficient alpha(ME) initially increased and then decreased with the increasing SrTiO3 content, reaching its optimum magnetoelectric properties at x = .1, where alpha(ME) = .47 mV cm(-1) Oe(-1). In summary, when the substitution amount of SrTiO3 reaches 10%, the ferroelectric, magnetic, and magnetoelectric properties of BSF ceramics are significantly improved.