Tuning of net magnetic moment in BiFeO3 multiferroics by co-substitution of Nd and Mn.

The structural and magnetic properties of Bi1-xNdxFe1-xMnxO3 ceramics prepared by the tartaric acid modified sol-gel technique have been studied to understand the effect of structural modification on the magnetic Properties of BiFeO3. The co-substitution of Nd and Mn at Bi and Fe sites respectively in BiFeO3 significantly suppress the impurity phases (Bi25FeO40, Bi2Fe4O9 etc.). The Rietveld analysis of X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicates the existence of compositional driven crystal structure transformation from rhombohederal (R3c space group, higher crystal symmetry) to the orthorhombic (Pbnm space group, lower crystal symmetry) with the increase in substitution concentration due to excess chemical pressure (lattice strain). The quantitative crystallographic phase analysis has been carried out by Rietveld analysis of all the XRD patterns. Magnetic measurements reveal that co-substituted BiFeO3 nanoparticles for x=0.050 have enhanced remnant magnetization about 21 times as compared to pure one. The remnant magnetization reaches a maximum value at the morphological phase boundary (x=0.050) and further increase (x>0.050) in substitution concentration results in the reduction of remnant magnetization due to the appearance of complete antiferromagnetic ordering in the orthorhombic structure because of the significant contribution from the crystallographic phase of Pbnm space group (as obtained from the quantitative crystallographic phase contribution by the Rietveld analysis). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]