Tuning the optical, magnetic, ferroelectric and dielectric properties of BiFeO3-BaTiO3-NiFe2O4 composites for multifunctional applications
摘要
Polycrystalline (1–x)(0.7BiFeO₃–0.3BaTiO₃)–xNiFe₂O₄ (x = 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20) compounds were synthesized via the solid-state reaction route. Structural analysis using Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed a rhombohedral structure for x = 0.00, while the incorporation of NiFe₂O₄ induced the coexistence of rhombohedral and cubic phases in the other compositions. UV–visible absorption studies revealed a systematic decrease in the optical band gap with increasing NiFe₂O₄ concentration. Magnetic hysteresis loops showed unsaturated magnetization for x = 0.00, whereas enhanced saturation magnetization with reduced coercive field were observed for 0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.20. Ferroelectric measurements showed that the polarization loops improved with increasing NiFe₂O₄ content up to x = 0.10, achieving a maximum remanent polarization of 30 µC/cm², followed by a decrease at higher concentrations. Dielectric studies revealed an anomaly in the temperature range of 240–340 °C, which systematically shifted toward lower temperatures with increasing NiFe₂O₄ substitution. In addition, ac conductivity analyses indicated that electrical transport was governed by the migration of electrons and oxygen vacancies. Overall, these findings demonstrate that NiFe₂O₄ incorporation effectively tailors the structural, optical, magnetic, ferroelectric, dielectric, and impedance properties of BiFeO₃–BaTiO₃ ceramics.