Phase composition and crystal structure of the RE-substituted BiFeO3 (RE = Er, Tm, Yb)

Abstract

The work deals with the study of the phase and structural behaviour of the rare-earth substituted BiFeO3. X-ray powder diffraction examinations revealed that the polar R3c phase in the Bi1−xRExFeO3 systems with RE = Er, Tm and Yb do not exceed 7, 4 and 3 mol.% of rare earth, respectively. Partial substitution of Er and Tm for the Bi sites in BiFeO3 reduce the temperature of the ferroelectric phase transition R3c-Pbnm on 30–60 K.