Electrical switching in cadmium ferrite with different rare-earth ions (Sm3+, Y3+, and La3+)

The cadmium ferrite and 5 % rare-earth ions (Sm3+, Y3+, and La3+) added Cd ferrites were synthesized by oxalate co-precipitation method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques. All ferrite samples under investigation exhibit current-controlled negative resistance type I-E characteristics at room temperature. The required electrical-switching field in cadmium ferrite is higher than that for 5 % Sm3+, Y3+, and La3+ added cadmium ferrites. The 5 % addition of Sm3+, Y3+, and La3+ in cadmium ferrite is found to decrease the grain size in this ferrite. This decrement in the grain size makes the required switching field to decrease in cadmium ferrite. No aging effect for electrical switching is observed in these ferrites.