Microstructure and magnetic properties of a novel 10-H hexagonal perovskite nanosheet in a Bi–Fe–Cr–O system

Abstract

A novel 10-H hexagonal Bi(FeCr)O 3 (BFCO) perovskite nanosheet is synthesized by pulsed-laser ablation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies prove that the crystal structure of this phase is hexagonal-type with a P6 3 /mmc space group. The atomic stacking sequence, revealed by high-resolution TEM, can be described as hhhcchhhcc in h-c notation. The magnetic properties of 10-H hexagonal BFCO perovskites are studied by both magnetic hysteresis loop measurements and first-principles calculations. The net magnetization of 10-H hexagonal BFCO comes from the antiparallel spin moment of the Fe 3+ and Cr 3+ cations. The stability of the novel 10-H BFCO is also discussed by calculating its Goldschmidt factor and formation enthalpy. This work demonstrates the structural diversity in the Bi-Fe-Cr-O system, which may open the feasibility to explore the multifunctionality of this system.