Multiferroic properties of Bi1−xDyxFeO3 (x=0–0.2) ceramics at various temperatures

Abstract Insulated Bi 1 − x Dy x FeO 3 ( x = 0–0.2) were prepared to study their multiferroic properties at various temperatures. Bi 1 − x Dy x FeO 3 ( x = 0–0.08) shows rhombohedral phase, ferroelectric polarization of > 18 μC/cm 2 , and piezoelectric d 33 value of > 35 pC/N at room temperature. After the polarized ceramics were annealed at various high temperatures, the piezoelectric d 33 changes suggest that ferroelectric component exists below 700 °C. There are ferroelectric phase and PZT-like anti-polar orthorhombic phase together in Bi 1 − x Dy x FeO 3 ( x = 0.11–0.17), although only ferroelectric phase contributes polarization and d 33 which decreases with Dy concentration at this two-phase coexistence region. Finally, Bi 1 − x Dy x FeO 3 ( x = 0.2) transforms to non-polar orthorhombic phase according to structural and electric measurements.