Electric/magnetic behaviors of Nd/Ti co-doped BiFeO3 ceramics with morphotropic phase boundary

Abstract Morphotropic phase boundaries (MPB) consisting of rhombohedral, nonpolar orthorhombic and orthorhombic bridging phases were formed within the range of 0.1 ≤  x  ≤ 0.2 in Bi 1- x Nd x Fe 0.97 Ti 0.03 O 3 ceramics. The intricate phase coexistence was verified by X-ray diffraction refinements, new modes at ~305 cm −1 in Raman spectra and microstructure analyses. Impedance tests confirmed the MPB ranges via resistance fluctuations and revealed additional arcs from phase boundaries. Ferroelectric and magnetic properties were synchronously improved at MPB resulting in the apparent magnetodielectric effect with a permittivity change rate of ~1.5% at 10000 Oe. Additionally, magnetic domains were reversed at low voltages.