Multiferroicity in polar phase LiNbO3 at room temperature

LiNbO3, prepared by ball milling assisted ceramic method, exhibits weak ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity at room temperature. X-ray diffraction pattern reveals the rhombohedral phase of LiNbO3 with hexagonal unit cell symmetry. The weak ferromagnetic behavior, obtained using VSM, has been explained using Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction caused by the ferroelectric distortion in its magnetic order. The P-E loop measurement shows lossy natured ferroelectric loop. Electrical and dielectric properties analyzed using impedance spectroscopy show two thermally activated conduction processes, derived from the Arrhenius plot. A gradual increase in the dielectric constant below 493 K and a rapid increase above 493 K reveals the contribution of polarization components and Lithium ion hopping. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.