Magnetic and electrical properties of single-phase multiferroic (1-x)Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3–xPb(Fe0.5Nb0.5)O3 thin films prepared by sol-gel route

Abstract

Single-phase multiferroic (1-x)Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3-xPb(Fe0.5Nb0.5)O3 (0≤x≤0.5) thin films were synthesized by sol-gel route and characterized to understand their structural, electrical, and magnetic properties. The films were thermally treated by conventional furnace (CFA) and rapid thermal annealing (RTA). A pyrochlore-free perovskite phase is stabilized only by RTA in samples with high Fe3+/Nb5+ content. The films displayed excellent dielectric and ferroelectric properties in the whole concentration range, with saturated hysteresis loops and remanent polarization values of ∼15μC/cm2. Films with x>0.3 showed ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature. Consequently, the multiferroic behavior in the films occurs in a different concentration range than that observed in bulk ceramics. The origin of the weak ferromagnetism is discussed.