Magnetic Properties of Bi1 – xCaxFeO3 – δ Nanocrystals

Abstract

The nanocrystalline magnetically ordered materials based on bismuth orthoferrite doped with calcium are synthesized via glycine-nitrate combustion. X-ray diffractometry, helium pycnometry, BET, scanning electron microscopy, and elemental energy dispersive microanalysis data showed that they are isostructural to bismuth orthoferrite and have an average crystallite size of about 40 nm to form particles with an average size of 0.3 μm. Mössbauer spectroscopy and magnetometry data showed that their magnetic properties and those of pure bismuth orthoferrite are significantly differed. We found that the samples contain nanocrystals with other magnetic parameters and a low-dispersed phase fractions with a magnetic order.