MgFe2O4/(Ba0 · 85Ca0.15) (Zr0 · 1Ti0.9)O3 lead free ceramic composite: A study on multiferroic and magnetoelectric coupling properties at room temperature

Highlights:• Lead free MgFe₂O₄(MFO)/Ba_0.85Ca_0.15Zr_0.1Ti_0.9O₃(BCZT) multiferroic bulk composites were prepared.• The composite exhibits coexistence of the ferroelectric and ferromagnetic order at room temperature.• The I-V characteristic of MFO/BCZT composite follows strain vs field (P-E polarization) behaviour.• The permittivity and conductivity of composite are 281 at 10⁶ Hz and 1×10^-8 Ω^-1cm^-1 at 100Hz respectively.• The transverse magnetoelectric coupling coefficient (α^V₃₁) for this composite is found to be 7.97 mVcm^-1Oe^-1 at 10kHz. -- Abstract: MgFe₂O₄ (MFO) and (Ba_0·85Ca_0.15) (Zr_0·1Ti_0.9)O₃ (BCZT) was prepared by solid state route and are found to be ferromagnetic and ferroelectric at room temperature respectively. MFO/BCZT composite (50:50 M concentration of MFO and BCZT) was also prepared by solid state route. Multiferroic properties of MFO/BCZT ceramic composite were investigated. Scanning electron micrograph confirms the distribution of small grains of MFO around large grain of BCZT for proper surface interaction. MFO/BCZT composite exhibits saturated magnetization of 12 emu/gm, which reduce to 10 emu/gm on electrical poling at 2.5 kV/cm indicating magneto-electric coupling between MFO and BCZT through interface interaction. The composite also exhibits proper ferroelectric polarization, which is confirmed from I–V characteristic plot (occurrence of double minima as that of proper ferroelectric). The transverse magnetoelectric coupling coefficient (α^V₃₁) for this composite is found to be 7.97 mVcm⁻¹Oe⁻¹ at 10 kHz. MFO/BCZT ceramic composite exhibit multiferroic and magnetoelectric coupling properties for 50:50 M concentration at room temperature may be suitable for device applications.