Structural properties and incommensurate magnetic order in BiFeO3-PbTiO3 solid solutions

Abstract

The perovskite BiFeO3 has received considerable attention over decades due to its unique combination of ferroelectric and magnetic properties at room temperature. Recently it has been reported that linear magnetoelectric coupling in BiFeO3 can be realized by artificially introduced disorder like in solid solutions, where PbTiO3 substitution causes an antiferromagnetic (AFM) M-H loop. Details of the magnetic and structural order obtained by joint studies using monochromatic high-resolution neutron powder diffraction (NPD) and ultra-high resolution TOF NPD on (1−x)BiFeO3-xPbTiO3 solid solutions (x =0−0.3) have been determined.