Biosensors Nanotechnology

Chapter 13

Structural, Electrical and Magnetic Properties of Pure and Substituted BiFeO₃ Multiferroics

S. Jangid, S. K. Barbar and M. Roy^*

Department of Physics, M.L. Sukhadia University, Rajasthan, India

^*Corresponding author: [e-mail]

Abstract

Multiferroic materials are currently the subject of intensive investigation because of their range of new applications. These materials exhibit two or more properties simultaneously, i.e., ferroelectric, ferroelastic, ferromagnetic or ferrotoroidic properties. However, current research activities of single-phase multiferroics are limited to a few oxides, such as BiFeO₃, BiMnO₃, TbMnO₃, TbMn₂O₅, and LuFe₂O₄, etc. Among these, a group of perovskites known as multiferroics offers a rich variety of physical properties, making them the most useful multifunctional materials. In particular, the cross-coupling between the dielectric/electrical, magnetic and acoustic properties makes it possible to develop new components with radically new functionalities for applications in sensors, microwave, THz devices, etc. Since it is the only perovskite material known to exhibit multiferroism at room temperature, bismuth ferrite (BiFeO₃) has become one of the most studied multiferroics considered for these applications, thereby emerging as a prime candidate for ferroelectromagnetic devices that operate at room temperature. In this review we will discuss the preparation method for high purity BiFeO3 in ceramic form through solid-state reaction ...