Crystal structure and dielectrical behavior of YFe_1-xTi_xO₃

Yttrium ortoferrite, YFeO₃, is a multiferroic system despite having a Pnma/Pbnm centrosymmetric structure. The mechanism that gives rise to ferroelectricity is under discussion, but it is believed to be associated with the breakdown of inversion symmetry. In this work, the synthesis, structural characterization, as well as the dielectric properties of the Ti - doped YFeO₃ are reported. Structurally it was found that doping with Ti generates an increase in the volume of the unit cell. The relative permittivity, ε^'_r, increases with the Ti content and has a diffuse phase transition at a temperature that decreases with x. In the same way, both the dielectric loss and the activation energy decrease with Ti doping. These results are discussed considering geometrical aspects and the occupation of the d orbitals.