title: Effect of particle size on ferroelectric and magnetic properties of BiFeO₃ nanopowders.
abstract: The ferroelectric and magnetic behaviour of multiferroic BiFeO₃ nanoparticles has been studied using piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), Mössbauer spectroscopy and SQUID magnetometry. The results of the PFM studies indicate a decay of the spontaneous polarization with decreasing particle size. Nevertheless, particles with diameter ∼50 nm still manifest ferroelectric behaviour. At the same time these particles are weakly ferromagnetic. The Mössbauer spectroscopy studies prove that the weak ferromagnetic state is due to non-compensated surface spins rather than distortions of the cycloidal spin structure characteristic for bulk BiFeO₃.
authors.affiliation: University of Duisburg-Essen, Institute for Materials Science and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen-CENIDE, D-45141 Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Escobar Castillo
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Shvartsman
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gobeljic
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Landers
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wende
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Lupascu