Effect of Gd-substitution on phase transition and conduction mechanism of BiFeO3

• Published in: Journal of materials science. Materials in electronics 2013-08, Vol.24 (8), p.2767-2771
• Main Authors: Pattanayak, Samita, Choudhary, R. N. P., Das, Piyush R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Dielectric properties of solids and liquids; Dielectrics, piezoelectrics, and ferroelectrics and their properties; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Ferroelectricity and antiferroelectricity; Materials; Materials Science; Optical and Electronic Materials; Physics
• ISSN: 0957-4522; 1573-482X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10854-013-1168-4

The polycrystalline sample of (Bi 0.8 Gd 0.2 )FeO 3 was prepared by a high-temperature solid-state reaction technique. Preliminary X-ray structural analysis of the sample confirms the formation of the desired compound with rhombohedral phase. The scanning electron micrograph of the sample showed uniform distribution of the plate- and rod-shaped grains. Studies of dielectric and electrical properties of the material were investigated within a wide range of temperature (25–400 °C) and frequency (1 kHz–1 MHz) using complex impedance spectroscopic method. The observation of hysteresis loop of the material confirmed that the material has a ferroelectric property at room temperature. The ac conductivity suggests that the sample obey Jonscher’s universal power law. The dc conductivity follows Arrhenius equation. Detailed studies of ac and dc conductivity show a negative temperature coefficient of resistance (NTCR) behavior of the sample.