Room Temperature Magnetoelectric Coupling, Electrical, and Optical Properties of BaFe2O4 – ZnO Nanocomposites

Abstract

Polycrystalline multiferroic nanocomposites with general formula xBaFe2O4 – (1 – x) ZnO (x = 0.2, 0.3, and 0.5) are prepared by chemical pyrophoric reaction method and solid-state route. The samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction which indicates the formation of both the phases in the composites. The morphological analysis and elemental compositions have been identified by using field emission scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis techniques. These micrographs reveal the particle sizes are in the nanometer dimension. The band gap of the nanocomposites is estimated employing UV-Vis spectroscopy. The DC electrical resistivity exhibits a metal-semiconductor transition for all the nanocompositions. Temperature-dependent AC conductivity of the nanocomposites is found to obey the Jonscher’s power law. The room temperature multiferroic behavior of the nanocomposites is confirmed from the detailed magnetoelectric response studies. The coupling coefficient is obtained maximum for x = 0.5 compositions for both in transverse and longitudinal mode due to the more ferrite content i.e., more magnetostrictive behaviour in the nanocompositions.