An impedance spectroscopy study of magnetodielectric coupling in BaTiO3-CoFe2O4 nanostructured multiferroics

Granular BaTiO3-CoFe2O4 (BTO-CFO) nanocomposites were prepared by combining polyol synthesis and spark plasma sintering (SPS). This method allows samples with a high density and a very small grain size (less than 150 nm), and thus a large interface area between phases. In order to study the involved magnetoelectric effects, the impedance response of these nanomaterials was measured in the 5 Hz-10 MHz frequency range, under 0-7.5 kOe magnetic applied fields, and in the 40-170°C temperature range. The best agreement to model these results by an equivalent circuit was achieved by means of three parallel RC arrangements connected in series; by their RC values, these circuits are representative of grain boundaries. An association between each RC circuit and each interface (or grain boundary), i. e., BTO-BTO, BTO-CFO, and CFO-CFO, is proposed on the basis of their temperature and magnetic behavior.