Multiferroic properties of Bi1− xDyxFeO3 (x= 0–0.2) ceramics at various temperatures

Insulated Bi1-xDyxFeO3 (x = 0-0.2) were prepared to study their multiferroic properties at various temperatures. Bi1-xDyxFeO3 (x = 0-0.08) shows rhombohedral phase, ferroelectric polarization of >18 mu C/cm(2), and piezoelectric d(33) value of >35 pC/N at room temperature. After the polarized ceramics were annealed at various high temperatures, the piezoelectric d(33) changes suggest that ferroelectric component exists below 700 degrees C. There are ferroelectric phase and PZT-like anti-polar orthorhombic phase together in Bi1-xDyxFeO3 (x = 0.11-0.17), although only ferroelectric phase contributes polarization and d(33) which decreases with Dy concentration at this two-phase coexistence region. Finally, Bi1-xDyxFeO3 (x = 0.2) transforms to non-polar orthorhombic phase according to structural and electric measurements. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.