YCrO3 (YCO) is known to be a multiferroic with orthorhombic, Pnma, structure with center of inversion. However, the local structural inhomogeneity in this compound is believed to give rise to ferroelectric behavior. In this study we explore high temperature Raman investigations of YCO and observed that one of its Raman mode B3g (3) (CrO6 Octahedral tilt mode) softens around the structural phase transition which could be the origin of ferroelectric nature in YCO. In addition, we substitute bismuth (Bi) in YCO to understand the structural distortions that lead to local structural inhomogeneity. Besides B3g (3) mode softening with composition and high temperature studies in Y1-xBixCrO3 the study reveals the structural distortions and the structural tunability Bi offers in such systems. © 2016 Materials Research Society.

Ranjith Ramadurai

Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering

V.R. Mannepalli

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Journal	MRS Advances
Publisher	Materials Research Society
ISSN	20598521