Magnetoelectric, dielectric, and magnetic investigations of multiferroic NixCo1-xFe2O4-SryBa1-yNb2O6 composites

Mater. Res. Bull. 177 (2024) 112860 (Open Access, DOI: 10.1016/j.materresbull.2024.112860).

Magnetoelectric (NixCo1-xFe2O4)0.3-(SryBa1-yNb2O6)0.7 composites with a 0–3 connectivity and different cation stoichiometries were synthesized via a classical mixed-oxide method. XRD patterns of all ceramics show reflections of the target phases SryBa1-yNb2O6 and NixCo1-xFe2O4. The influence of stoichiometry of the ferrimagnetic and ferroelectric phase on the magnetoelectric behavior was studied on composites with composition of (NixCo1-xFe2O4)0.3-(Sr0.5Ba0.5Nb2O6)0.7 and (NiFe2O4)0.3-(SryBa1-yNb2O6)0.7. The magnetic Curie temperature increases with nickel content. However, the saturation magnetizations as well as the Curie temperatures of the composites are always lower than the ones of bulk NixCo1-xFe2O4 samples. The maximum magnetoelectric coefficient (αME) rises with increasing nickel content from 40 (x = 0) to 180 μV Oe-1 cm-1 (x = 1) in accordance with the dynamic magnetostriction coefficient. The evolution of αME of (NiFe2O4)0.3-(SryBa1-yNb2O6)0.7 composites shows an increase with strontium content up to y 0.5. Higher strontium content leads to a significant reducing of αME.