Analysis of dielectric and magnetic phase transitions in Yb(Fe0.5Cr0.5)O3 bulk perovskite

• Published in: Applied physics. A, Materials science & processing Vol. 125; no. 4; pp. 1 - 12
• Main Authors: Patri, Tirupathi, Justin, Ponnaiah, Babu, P. D., Ghosh, Avijit
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-04-2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Antiferromagnetism; Applied physics; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; Dielectric relaxation; Ferric ions; Ferroelectric materials; Ferroelectricity; Ferromagnetism; Lattice vacancies; Lattices (mathematics); Machines; Manufacturing; Materials science; Nanotechnology; Optical and Electronic Materials; Orthorhombic phase; Oxygen ions; Perovskites; Phase transitions; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Processes; Relaxors; Specific heat; Spectroscopic analysis; Subgroups; Surfaces and Interfaces; Thin Films; Trivalent chromium
• ISSN: 0947-8396; 1432-0630
• DOI: 10.1007/s00339-019-2516-x

A comprehensive investigation of dielectric and magnetic phase transitions in Yb(Fe
0.5
Cr
0.5
)O
3
bulk ceramics has been presented. The co-existence of orthorhombic phase (
Pbnm
) along with minor hexagonal (
P6
3
cm
) phase is detected through Rietveld refinement technique, whereas the presence of Fe
3+
/Fe
2+
and Cr
3+
/Cr
2+
species is also encountered under XPS study. The dielectric broad-band spectroscopic study (5–500 K) reveals that two dielectric transition peaks: (1) at 370 K, first order ferroelectric transition for induced local non-centrosymmetry, and (2) at 462 K, diffuse like relaxor transition because of formation of polar nano-regions and, Schottky barriers at sample-electrode interface, respectively. The complex impedance spectroscopic study exhibits the non-Debye type dielectric relaxation phenomena at lower temperatures, while at high temperatures, oxygen ion vacancies are found to contribute the conduction progression. Furthermore, dc-magnetization plot in FC-ZFC mode detects the strong interactions between Cr
3+
/Fe
3+
sublattices also with Yb
3+
ions and Yb
3+
–Yb
3+
ions. This results into an antiferromagnetic ordering at T
N
~271 K for Cr
3+
–Cr
3+
/Fe
3+
–Fe
3+
or Cr
3+
–Fe
3+
spins followed by weak ferromagnetic ordering at 41 K for the occurrence of progressive spin reorientation and further at 11.2 K due to onset interactions of ferromagnetic Cr
3+
/Fe
3+
sub-lattices with paramagnetic Yb
3+
ions.