Eur. Phys. J. B 83, 39-45 (2011)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2011-20418-1

Acoustic properties of multiferroic BiFeO₃ over the temperature range 4.2–830 K

¹ Ioffe Physical Technical Institute, 26 Polytekhnicheskaya, St. Petersburg, 194021, Russian Federation
² IFW Dresden (Leibniz Institute for Solid State- and Materials Research Dresden), Helmholtz Str. 20, 01069 Dresden, Germany

Corresponding author: ^a This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Received: 2 June 2011
Revised: 11 July 2011
Published online: 15 September 2011

Abstract

The longitudinal acoustic wave velocity and attenuation in BiFeO₃ ceramics have been measured by ultrasonic pulse-echo technique at a frequency of 10 MHz in the temperature range from 4.2 K to 830 K. The anomalies observed in the sound velocity and attenuation behavior versus temperature are attributed to the assumed relaxation in the temperature range 200–500 K and antiferromagnetic phase transition at higher temperatures. Order parameter fluctuations along with magnetostriction are discussed as the factors determining the acoustic wave velocity anomaly in the vicinity of the antiferromagnetic phase transition point.