Structural, magnetic, dielectric and magneto-dielectric properties of (BaTiO3)0.70(Li0.3Zn0.4Fe2.3O4)0.30

Abstract Structural, magnetic, dielectric and magneto-dielectric properties of (BaTiO3)0.70(Li0.3Zn0.4Fe2.3O4)0.30 [BTO-LZFO] composite are studied. To prepare the composite, microcrystals of BaTiO3 [BTO] prepared in solid-state reaction are taken along with the precursors of Li0.3Zn0.4Fe2.3O4 [LZFO], prepared in sol-gel route. X-ray diffraction (XRD) study confirms the phase purity of the composite sample. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy also confirms the formation of the composite state. Analysis of magnetic data confirms the ferrimagnetic nature of the sample along with a fraction of superparamagnetic particles. The ferrimagnetism is explained by Neels’ two-sublattice model. The dielectric spectrum of the sample follows the Cole-Cole relaxation. Interestingly, the ferroelectric and dielectric behaviours of BTO are retained in the composite state of BTO-LZFO, though the magnetization is enhanced drastically. This enhanced magnetic property along with the ferroelectricity and strong magneto-dielectric coupling in the composite state confirms that BTO-LZFO can be used as a multiferroic material in different electronic devices.