Synthesis and characterization of in situ grown magnetoelectric composites in the BaO–TiO–FeO–CoO system

Magnetoelectric composite materials with mixed spinel cobalt ferrite–cobalt titanate and perovskite barium titanate as co-existing phases have been grown in situ by solid state reactions over a wide region of compositions of the BaO–TiO–CoO–FeO system. An estimate of phase formation was obtained by XRD. The magnetoelectric properties of the composites in relation to their composition and synthesis process have been assessed. The magnetoelectric (ME) conversion factor has been measured by a dynamic method as a function of magnetic field and has been found to vary from 3.0081 to 5.5886 mV/cm Oe at room temperature depending on the synthesis procedure. Typical dependance of ME conversion factor on magnetic field shows that the magnetic saturation occurs at low stimulation and the samples are best suitable in responding to relatively weak magnetic field.