Influence of La substitution on ferromagnetic properties of lead free Na0.5Bi0.5Ti0.988Fe0.012O3 multiferroic system

To study the effect of La doping and processing temperature, (Na0.5Bi0.5)1−xLaxTi0.988Fe0.012O3 (NBLTF) samples have been prepared by sol-gel method by employing two approaches namely with and without mol% excess of Na and Bi. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the formation of rhombohedral perovskite structure in these samples with minor impurity phases. However, the impurity phases of stochiometric NBLTF samples disappear on increasing the sintering temperature from 650°C to 850°C. On other hand, NBLTF samples prepared with mol% excess of Na and Bi have shown pure perovskite structure only at lower sintering temperature 650°C and also at low concentration of La ∼ 1%. Transmission electron microscope investigation shows nano crystalline formation for all NBLTF samples sintered at 850°C. The enhancement in room temperature ferromagnetism is observed in La doped NBTF samples prepared at 850°C by taking stoichiometric amount of Na and Bi during synthesis