Exchange bias effect in bulk multiferroic BiFe0.5Sc0.5O3

Below the Néel temperature, TN ∼ 220 K, at least two nano-scale antiferromagnetic (AFM) phases coexist in the polar polymorph of the BiFe0.5Sc0.5O3 perovskite; one of these phases is a weak ferromagnetic. Non-uniform structure distortions induced by high-pressure synthesis lead to competing AFM orders and a nano-scale spontaneous magnetic phase separated state of the compound. Interface exchange coupling between the AFM domains and the weak ferromagnetic domains causes unidirectional anisotropy of magnetization, resulting in the exchange bias (EB) effect. The EB field, HEB, and the coercive field strongly depend on temperature and the strength of the cooling magnetic field. HEB increases with an increase in the cooling magnetic field and reaches a maximum value of about 1 kOe at 5 K. The exchange field vanishes above TN with the disappearance of long-range magnetic ordering. The effect is promising for applications in electronics as it is large enough and as it is tunable by temperature and the magnetic field applied during cooling.publishe

Multiferroic Bi 0.65 La 0.35 Fe 0.5 Sc 0.5 O 3 perovskite:Magnetic and thermodynamic properties

Magnetic and thermodynamic properties of polycrystalline multiferroic Bi 0.65 La 0.35 Fe 0.5 Sc 0.5 O 3 synthesized under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions are reported. Magnetic properties were studied using a SQUID magnetometer technique over the temperature range of 5−300 K in magnetic fields up to H=10 kOe. The field dependent magnetization M(H) was measured in magnetic fields up to 50 kOe at different temperatures up to 230 K after zero-field cooling procedure. A long-range magnetic ordering of the AFM type with a weak FM contribution occurs below the Néel temperature T N ~237 K. Magnetic hysteresis loops taken below T N show a huge coercive field up to H c ~10 kOe. A strong effect of magnetic field on the magnetic properties of the compound has been found. Derivative of the initial magnetization curves demonstrates a temperature-dependent anomaly in fields of H=15−25 kOe. Besides, an anomaly of the temperature dependent zero-field cooled magnetization measured in magnetic fields of 6−7 kOe has been found. Origin of both anomalies is associated with inhomogeneous magnetic state of the compound. The heat capacity has been measured from 2 K up to room temperature and a significant contribution from the magnon excitations at low temperatures has been detected. From the low-temperature heat capacity, an anisotropy gap of the magnon modes of the order 3.7 meV and Debye temperature T D =189 K have been determined