Structural,ferroelectric and magnetic properties of Bi0.85Sm0.15FeO3 perovskite

Room temperature crystal structure, ferroelectric and magnetic properties of polycrystalline Bi_0.85Sm_0.15FeO₃ samples were investigated. X‐ray diffraction study shows that the compound possesses a dominant PbZrO₃‐like orthorhombic structure with √2a ×2√2a ×2a superlattice (a is the parameter of the cubic perovskite subcell). In contrast to piezoresponse force microscopy data demonstrating some features characteristic of ferroelectrics, polarization vs. electric field measurements reveal the behavior expected for nonpolar materials. Investigation of magnetic properties confirms that 15% samarium substitution suppresses the spin modulation typical of BiFeO₃ and induces the appearance of spontaneous magnetization. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)