Phase transitions in multiferroic Bi1−xEuxFeO3 synthesized by sol-gel method

Abstract

Abstract Bi1-xEuxFeO3 micropowders 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.20 were synthesized by sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction shows that the crystal structure changes from rhombohedral to cubic symmetry at x = 0.20 . Dielectric properties and loss factor were investigated as a function of temperature. Neel temperature T N of the compounds was measured by differential scanning calorimetry and found to decrease from 668 K to 646 K for 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15 and bounce to 667 K for x = 0.20 . The Curie temperature TC which corresponds to the transition from ferroelectric to paraelectric phases was checked out using differential thermal analysis measurements. The TC value increases from 1130 K to 1135 K for 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15 while no transition was detected for x = 0.20 in accordance with the structural transition from R3c to centrosymmetric Pm3m phase.