Effect of Ho³⁺ Doping on Structural and Magnetic Properties of Multiferroic YbMnO₃

Using the traditional solid-state reaction approach, multiferroic ceramics with the compositional formula Yb_1−xHo_xMnO₃, where x = 0 to 0.4 with 0.1 variation were synthesized. The structural and magnetic properties of the prepared poly-crystalline samples Yb_1−xHo_xMnO₃ were investigated to show the effect of higher magnetic moment Ho³⁺ ion over the Yb ion. X-ray diffraction was used to analyze the compound’s crystal structure and confirm that they have a hexagonal single-phase structure with a P6 ₃ cm space group. The presence of functional groups and their shifting to lower frequency regions were revealed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. UV–vis absorbance spectra were used to calculate the energy gap values, and the resultant data shows a decrease in band gap values with an increase in Ho³⁺ doping. Crystal deformation with the doping of Ho³⁺ was observed using Raman spectra. Room-temperature magnetic studies were used to reveal the paramagnetic nature of the samples and the increase in magnetic parameters due to the doping of the higher magnetic moment Ho³⁺ ion.