Abstract:
The room temperature multiferroic material La
2Ti
2-xCo
xO
7 (
x=0, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07) is successfully synthesized by introducing magnetic Co ions into La
2Ti
2O
7. The microstructural investigation indicates that all the samples crystalize into a single phase structure and no impurity can be observed in the detected range of the X-ray diffraction. A suitable concentration of Co doping could not only enhance the magnetism, but also decrease the leakage current and increase the insulativity. As a result, the ferroelectricity and multiferroic can be improved. Simultaneously, the ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic and paramagnetic interactions in La
2Ti
2-xCo
xO
7 are also discussed. The ferromagnetism originates from the coupling interaction of the oxygen vacancies and the spins of Co cations. For the undoped La
2Ti
2O
7 samples, the ferromagnetism can be attributed to the oxygen vacancies. For keeping the balance of the valence, the existed oxygen vacancies cause that some Ti
4+ ions are transformed into Ti
3+ ions. Therefore, an electron exists in the 3d orbital of Ti
3+ ions and weak ferromagnetism emerges in La
2Ti
2O
7 sample.