High concentration manganese doping of ferroelectric PbTiO3

It is well-known that certain solid solutions of 3d transition elements in ferroelectric materials with perovskite structure reveal interesting magnetoelectric effects. First used in the 1950s, this approach remains valid in the search for new multiferroic materials suitable for device applications. In this work, a solid solution of Mn replacing Ti in PbTiO3 has been prepared using metalorganic precursors. The solubility limit has been found to be 20 mol% and the material remains tetragonally distorted. The ferroelectric transition temperature decreases with Mn concentration and the transition becomes more diffuse, consistent with the behavior of solid solutions. X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy confirms the presence of Mn3+ and Mn4+ oxidation states. The material at the solubility limit was found to be ferromagnetic below 50 K.