Particle size dependent multiferroic properties of Bi0.95Tb0.05FeO3 nanoparticles

This study presents the influence of particle size on multiferroic properties of nanoscale Bi 0.95 Tb 0.05 FeO 3 . The sol–gel technique was used to synthesize the pure and Tb-doped BiFeO 3 nanoparticles. The Tb-doping reveals onset of orthorhombic phase in BiFeO 3 . It enhanced its magnetic and ferroelectric properties, respectively, through 2.1 and 1.5 times by unlocking spin spiral structure and breaking centrosymmetry. The shift of ferroelectric loops in the magnetic field shows the presence of magnetoelectric coupling. The variation in size of Bi 0.95 Tb 0.05 FeO 3 nanoparticles show that the particles with smallest size (15–20 nm) possess highest magnetization (2.8 emu/g), polarization (5.1 µC/cm 2 ), and magnetoelectric coupling (8 %).