The ferroelectric, magnetic, and magneto-electric properties of a PZT/Ba-hexaferrite (PbZr0.65Ti0.35O3/BaFe12O19) ceramic composite are reported. The expected rhombohedral-PZT and Ba-hexaferrite phases have been confirmed from structural and Rietveld refinement analyses, without additional undesired phases. Well-saturated ferroelectric and magnetic hysteresis loops confirmed the ferroelectric and magnetic nature of the study system, revealing enhanced characteristics when compared to those reported for typical multiferroics. The existence and enhancement of the magneto-electric response have been demonstrated by measuring the effect of the external DC magnetic field on the dielectric permittivity. The obtained results suggest an excellent candidate for room temperature multiferroic system with enhanced properties.

Abstract. Multiferroic ceramics, based on the ferroelectric and ferrimagnetic phases of the Pb(Zr 0.65 Ti 0.35 )O 3 (PZT) and BaFe 12 O 19 (BaM) systems, respectively, were obtained from the conventional ceramic method. The electrical properties have been investigated in a wide temperature and frequency range. The influence of the magnetic phase on the ferroelectric and dielectric properties of the ferroelectrics phases have been taken into account. The phase transition characteristics shown to be strongly affected by the amount of the BaM phase, while the dielectric properties revealed to be directly dominated by the presence of conductive effects related to the charge transport mechanisms associated to the magnetic phase.

The conductive processes in multiferroic ceramic composites based on PbZr 0.65 Ti 0.35 O 3 (PZT) and BaFe 12 O 19 (BaM), synthesized by the conventional solid-state reaction method, have been investigated. The DC and AC electrical conductivities have been analyzed in a wide temperature and frequency range and the influence of the BaM content on the electrical properties of the PZT-xBaM composites has been taken into account. It has been observed that the inclusion of the BaM in the PZT ferroelectric matrix promotes conduction mechanisms with magnetic-order characteristics on the ceramics, which were related to doubly ionized oxygen vacancies, superexchange, and double-exchange-type interactions. The obtained results are discussed in the framework of Jonscher's formalism.

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