Enhanced ferroelectricity and magnetism of quenched (1− x )BiFeO 3 - x BaTiO 3 ceramics

Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3)-based materials are multiferroic materials widely studied. This study reports that strong ferroelectricity and enhanced magnetic performance are simultaneously obtained in the quenched (1−x)BiFeO3−xBaTiO3 (BFBT100x, x = 0.2 and 0.3) ceramics. Quenching treatment can reduce the amount of defects and Fe2+ ions and make the defect dipole in a random state, which is conducive to improving the ferroelectricity and magnetism. Compared with the conventional sintered samples, the quenched ceramics have higher remnant and saturation polarization. As for magnetism, the coercive field (Hc) of the quenched ceramics is smaller and the quenching treatment can increase the maximum magnetization by up to 15%.