Enhanced magnetic and optical properties of pure and (Mn, Sr) doped BiFeO3 nanocrystals

Pure and (Mn, Sr) doped BiFeO3 nanoparticles with the diameter in the range of 30–100 nm were controllably synthesized by a soft chemical method at a relatively low temperature. The diameter of the product was well controlled by adjusting the concentration of tartaric acid. Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurements verified that great enhancement of ferromagnetic property could be achieved either by decreasing their diameter or adding doping ions (Mn, Sr). Having suppressed the spiral spin structure, BiFeO3 nanoparticles with perfect ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties were excellent in ferroelectromagnet applications. The photoluminescent property of BiFeO3 nanoparticles was also investigated in order to exploiting their possible application in nanoscale optoelectronic devices.