Magnetoelectric Coupling in Bismuth Ferrite—Challenges and Perspectives

Abstract

Multiferroic materials belong to the sub-group of ferroics possessing two or more ferroic orders in the same phase. Aizu first coined the term multiferroics in 1969. Of late, several multiferroic materials’ unique and robust characteristics have shown great potential for various applications. Notably, the coexisting magnetic and electrical ordering results in the Magnetoelectric effect (ME), wherein the electrical polarization can be manipulated by magnetic fields and magnetization by electric fields. Currently, more significant interests lie in significantly enhancing the ME coupling facilitating the realization of Spintronic devices, which makes use of the transport phenomenon of spin-polarized electrons. On the other hand, the magnetoelectric coupling is also pivotal in magnetic memory devices wherein the application of small electric voltage manipulates the magnetic properties of the device. This review gives a brief overview of magnetoelectric coupling in Bismuth ferrite and approaches to achieve higher magnetoelectric coupling and device applications.

Oxygen octahedra distortion‐induced multiferroic properties of Er and Zr co‐doped BiFeO3 nanoparticles

“…Bismuth ferrite is known to be a G‐type antiferromagnetic material and induces the suppression of spiral spin arrangement and small canting during chemical substitution 38 . The Rietveld outcome of the Fe–O–Fe bond angle reveals a decreasing trend from 159° to 141°, and the canting angle is also altered based on magnetization results in all the samples.…”

“…Bismuth ferrite is known to be a G-type antiferromagnetic material and induces the suppression of spiral spin arrangement and small canting during chemical substitution. 38 The Rietveld outcome of the Fe-O-Fe bond angle reveals a decreasing trend from 159 • to 141 • , and the canting angle is also altered based on magnetization results in all the samples. Thus co-doping of Er 3+ (via Bi site) and Zr 4+ (via Fe site) ions in BiFeO 3 buckles the FeO 6 octahedra and shifts the Fe 3+ ions closer to O 2− due to the antiferromagnetic superexchange mechanism.…”

Structural, Spectroscopic, and Electrical Properties of (Ho, Mn)‐Codoped Bismuth Ferrites Synthesized Through Solid‐State Route

“…Bismuth ferrite (BFO), bismuth manganate, yttrium manganate, and terbium manganate are examples of Type 1 and Type 2 multiferroics. [ 2 ] Among these, bismuth ferrite is a widely studied and interesting material because of its multiferroicity at room temperature. Bismuth ferrite has a very high ferroelectric Curie temperature ( T c = 827 °C) and exhibits G‐type antiferromagnetism (Neel temperature (T N ) = 650 °C).…”

Microwave-Assisted Solvothermal Route for One-Step Synthesis of Pure Phase Bismuth Ferrite Microflowers with Improved Magnetic and Dielectric Properties

“…In recent decades, many researchers have made appreciable efforts to produce pure BFO crystals and ceramics using several synthesis methods such as solid-state, soft-chemical, wet-chemical, microemulsion, and so on. − Since most of these methods involve a common sintering step (typically at 500–900 °C), the possibility of impurity additions is more due to high temperatures and pressures, where the stability of the pure-phase BFO is disrupted sensitively during the synthesis process. In addition, the solid-state routes use nitric acid as a leaching agent for removing the secondary impure phases (Bi 2 Fe 4 O 9 and Bi 25 FeO 40 ) that are formed during the synthesis process.…”