Influence of Nd doping on the structural, Mössbauer and magnetic properties of YFeO₃ multiferroic materials

Nd_xY_1-xFeO₃ polycrystalline samples with ‘x’ value ranging from 0.0 to 1.0 in steps of 0.2 are synthesized using sol–gel auto combustion method. The structural and magnetic properties of Neodymium (Nd) doped YFeO₃ are presented in the present work. Experimental techniques like X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopic studies are used for structural characterization of the prepared compounds. From XRD measurements, unit cell parameters and cell volume are calculated. XRD graphs indicate the presence of secondary phases in the studied samples. The Fe–O–Fe bond angles from XRD show no significant change with substitution. Magnetic measurements indicate the presence of weak ferromagnetic component for all the samples. Isomer shift value from ⁵⁷Fe Mossbauer measurements indicate that iron ion is in Fe³⁺ionic state. Hyperfine field (B_hf) values increase with the increase in the Nd doping concentration. The important observation of the present work is the increase in electrical leakage current with Nd substitution.