Multiferroic behavior in glass–crystal nanocomposites containing Te2NiMnO6

Abstract Nanocomposites containing nanocrystals of Te 2 NiMnO 6 were synthesized by suitable heat treatment of a glass with composition 2 TeO 2 ·NiO·MnO (molar ratio). The crystallites had dimensions in the range 17–41 nm. X-ray diffraction data of the specimens were analyzed by using a TREOR computer programme. Lattice parameters extracted by this method indicated that the crystal symmetry was monoclinic. The nanocomposites exhibited weak ferromagnetism in the temperature range 2–300 K. They also showed ferroelectric hysteresis at room temperature with a remanent polarization of 0.015 μC/cm 2 . The specimens showed a magnetodielectric (MD) behavior with dielectric constant increasing as a function of applied magnetic field. The MD parameter obtained in the present system was 0.55%.