Influence of cobalt doping on structural and magnetic properties of BiFeO3 nanoparticles

Nanocrystalline cobalt-doped bismuth ferrites with general formula of BiFe1-delta Co delta O3 (0 <= delta <= 0.1) have been synthesized using solution evaporation method. Structure and phase identification was performed with X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The results confirm the formation of rhombohedral-distorted Perovskite structure with R3c symmetry. A decrease in lattice parameters and an increase in X-ray density have been observed with increasing cobalt concentration in BiFeO3. Particle size determined by transmission electron microscope was in good agreement with XRD, i.e., 39 nm. Room-temperature coercivity and saturation magnetization of nanoparticles were increased up to 7.5 % of cobalt doping. Low-temperature magnetic measurements of selected sample showed increasing behavior in saturation magnetization, coercivity, effective magnetic moments, and anisotropy constant. An increase in coercivity with decrease in temperature followed theoretical model of Kneller's law, while modified Bloch's model was employed for saturation magnetization in temperature range of 5-300 K.