Ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties of 0.2BiFeO3–0.2RFeO3–0.6ATiO3 (R=Pr, Nd and A=Ba, Pb) and 0.8BiFeO3–0.2BaTiO3

Crystal structure, ferromagnetic and electric polarizations have been characterized for attaining the ferroelectromagnetic materials in the ternary and binary solid solutions consisting of ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic end members: BiFeO3(BF), PrFeO3(PF), NdFeO3(NF), BaTiO3(BT),and PbTiO3(PT). The XRD and neutron diffraction data collected in the temperature range 10–300 K have been analyzed by the Rietveld refinement method. Every prepared sample shows weak ferromagnetization with a maximum remanent magnetization Mr=0.5 emu/g in the 0.8BiFeO3–0.2BaTiO3. The 0.2BF–0.2NF–0.6PT(0.0075 mol Ta2O5), 0.8BF–0.2BT, and 0.2BF–0.2PF–0.6PT(0.0075 mol Ta2O5) having the noncentrosymmetric structure I4cm (a=b≒0.54 nm, c≒0.78 nm) show a ferroelectricity with remanent polarization Pr=1.2–3 μC/cm2.