Bismuth ferrite, BiFeO3, is an important multiferroic material that has attracted remarkable attention for potential applications in functional devices. While thin films of BiFeO3 are attractive for applications in nanoelectronics, bulk polycrystalline BiFeO3 has great potential as a lead-free and/or high-temperature actuator material. However, the actuation mechanisms in bulk BiFeO3 are still ...

Phase-pure powders of stoichiometric BiFeO3 have been prepared by mechanosynthesis. Ceramics sintered by either conventional heating in air or spark plasma sintering (SPS) followed by oxidative anneal in air are highly insulating with conductivity e.g. ~10 Scm at 300 °C and activation energy 1.15(2) eV, which are comparable to those of a good-quality BiFeO3 single crystal. By contrast, the as-p...

Isolated nonmagnetic substitutional defect ions experience huge coupled electric magnetic interaction in the single-phase multiferroic ${\mathrm{BiFeO}}_{3}$. In ferroelectric state above N\'eel temperature ${T}_{N}$, environment generates a single symmetric field gradient (EFG) parallel to polarization direction. Below distinct arises, monitored by probe nuclei via their moment. Two environmen...

One effective way to extend the functional degree of freedom for semiconductors is introduce structural defects (e.g., surface or interface) and chemical as they commonly exist modify properties entity. Here, optoelectronic bismuth ferrite thin films their tuning by interface between film strontium titanate substrate are reported. The that have been demonstrated, especially oxygen vacancies, pa...