XRD, Raman and magnetic studies of Bi1−xLaxFeO3 solid solution obtained by mechanochemical synthesis

Bi1-xLaxFeO3 single-phase solid solution with 0 x 0.3 was obtained by mechanochemical synthesis and characterized by X-ray diffraction, FT NIR Raman spectroscopy and magnetic studies. The nanocrystalline powders of rhombohedrally distorted perovskite structure R3c were studied as synthesized' by mechanosynthesis and after annealing at 500 degrees C for 1h. The annealing, which resulted in recrystallization of the amorphous shell of the nanograins, was found to modify the external lattice modes of Bi1-xLaxFeO3 and resulted in changes in the temperature variation of the magnetization.