Substitution-driven structural and magnetic phase transitions in Bi0.86(La, Sm)0.14FeO3 system

V A Khomchenko (1) , L C J Pereira (2) , J A Paixão (1)

1 Faculty of Sciences and Technology [Coimbra]
2 UCQR

Solid state synthesis and investigation of crystal structure and magnetic properties of Bi 0.86 La 0.14-x Sm x FeO 3 (0x0.14) ceramics were performed. It was found that a rhombohedral to orthorhombic phase transition took place in the series with decreasing average ionic radius of the substituting elements occupying the A- site of the ABO 3 perovskite. Magnetic properties of the compounds were shown to correlate with evolution of their structural state. Pure rhombohedral samples 0x0.06 were obtained in a mixed antiferromagnetic/weak ferromagnetic state. A small residual magnetization characteristic of the compounds was found to weakly depend on change of the chemical composition. Progressive increase of the residual magnetization was observed upon the rhombohedral to orthorhombic transition. Reasons of appearance of the weak ferromagnetism in orthorhombic and rhombohedral phases of the Bi 0.86 (La, Sm) 0.14 FeO 3 compounds were analyzed.

Mots clés: 64.70.K-; 75.30.-m; 75.85.+t

V A Khomchenko, L C J Pereira, J A Paixão. Substitution-driven structural and magnetic phase transitions in Bi0.86(La, Sm)0.14FeO3 system. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 2011, 44 (18), pp.185406. ⟨10.1088/0022-3727/44/18/185406⟩. ⟨hal-00614342⟩