Pr–Co co-doped BFO multiferroics nanomaterials for absorber applications

Abstract Pr and Co co-doped BiFeO3 multiferroics of the following composition BiCoxPrxFe1-2xO3, where (x = 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20 and 0.25) were prepared via sol-gel route. XRD, FTIR, SEM, VSM and VNA were used to evaluate the structural, phase, morphological and electromagnetic properties of Pr and Co co-doped multiferroics. All the undoped and Pr–Co co-doped multiferroics were of single rhombohedral phased whereas at higher concentration the orthorhombic structure was present. FTIR analysis exhibited the presence of orthorhombic phase. SEM images revealed that the grains of Pr and Co doped multiferroics are circular and elliptical in shape. Dielectric and electromagnetic properties were analysed using VNA from 1 to 6 GHz. Dielectric constant, dielectric loss factor, electric modulus, relative permeability, loss tangent, ac conductivity, and Q factor were determined from the toroidal shaped multiferroics. The double doping of Pr and Co multiferroics at x = 0.15 unveiled higher dielectric constant, ac conductivity and other related electromagnetic properties as compared to doped and undoped multiferroics. Pr and Co doped multiferroics also disclosed higher Q factor values at 2.65 GHz. Thin substrate as absorber and square shape resonator of Pr–Co co-doped BiFeO3 multiferroics at x = 0.15 were simulated using FDTD method. The first resonance absorption peak with a very high Q-factor was achieved at ~ 1.2 GHz whereas the second absorption peak was attained at ~ 2.4 GHz respectively. The absorptivity was also analysed corresponding to the different angles of incident for both TE- and TM-modes. Therefore, Pr–Co co-doped multiferroics have potential applications in the absorption and resonator devices in GHz regime.