Crystal structure and magnetic property of Nd doped BiFeO3 nanocrytallites

Bi_1-xNd_xFeO₃ (BNFO_x, x = 0-0.15) nano-crystallites were successfully synthesised by solution combustion technique. Neodymium substitution has changed the rhombohedral symmetry of BiFeO₃ to the triclinic and reduced the impurity phase. The average particle size found to vary from 74 to 26 nm when Nd concentration was increased from x = 0 to 0.15. The change in the symmetry is also confirmed by Raman spectra of nanocrystallite samples. The value of remnant magnetization has improved due to the continuing collapse of the space-modulated spin structure of BNFO_x. Long-range ferromagnetic ordering in BNFO_x at room temperature was also confirmed from Mössbauer spectra.