Structural, electrical and magnetic properties of Eu doped YCrO3 nanoparticles

An enhancement in electrical and magnetic properties was described in chemically prepared YCrO3 nanoparticles by Eu doping. The effect of Eu doping on crystal structure was analyzed by the Rietveld refinement of XRD data. It is observed that the dc conductivity of the samples increases by doping. The temperature variation of dc and ac conductivity of the samples shows that the activation energy decreases after Eu doping. The dielectric study suggests a relaxor like ferroelectric behaviour around 450 K, and with the increase of Eu concentration dielectric constant of the sample increases. The values of retentivity and magnetization increase with the Eu doping confirmed the ferromagnetic ordering in YCrO3 at room temperature which may be due to the decrease of tilting angle. These findings demonstrate the fundamental importance of doping in enhancing the electrical and magnetic properties which will open up the possibility of YCrO3 to be used in spintronic devices.