G. Gorodetsky

Low-temperature resistivity minimum in ceramic manganites

Measurements of magnetoresistance and magnetization were carried out on ceramic samples of La0.5Pb0.5MnO3 and La0.5Pb0.5MnO3, containing 10 at. % Ag in a dispersed form. The results obtained for the resistivity at zero applied magnetic field exhibit a shallow minimum at the temperature T∼25–30 K which shifts towards lower temperatures upon applying a magnetic field and disappears at a certain field Hcr. Also the resistivity at helium temperature decreases upon applying magnetic fields. It is shown that the model of charge carriers tunneling between antiferromagnetically coupled grains may account for the results observed.

Low-temperature resistivity minima in single-crystalline and ceramic La0.8Sr0.2MnO3: Mesoscopic transport and intergranular tunneling

A slight minimum in the zero-field resistivity of a single crystalline La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 and shallow one for ceramic La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 samples were observed at T∼4 K and at T∼25–30 K, respectively. The minimum for the ceramic shifts towards lower temperatures, flattens with increasing magnetic fields (H), and vanishes at some critical H. The above effects are accompanied by an appreciable negative magnetoresistance (MR). On the other hand, the minimum for the single-crystalline sample is almost field independent and the MR in the relevant temperature range is very small. Two different mechanisms were found to account for the results observed in the single crystal and the polycrystalline samples: (i) mesoscopic corrections to the bulk resistivity that include Coulomb interaction and weak localization and (ii) intergranular tunneling. The resistivity of the large-grain ceramic sample comprises both types of behavior. The minimum of the bulk contribution becomes clearly seen under H, which suppresses the ceramic-t...

Correlation between electroresistance and magnetoresistance in La0.82Ca0.18MnO3 single crystal

The resistivity of La0.82Ca0.18MnO3 single crystal has been investigated as a function of external magnetic field and separately under an applied current flow. The measurements were carried out at various temperatures below and above the ferromagnetic transition temperature TC. It has been found that the dynamic electroresistance exhibits stunning similarities to the colossal magnetoresistance at the corresponding temperatures. The correlation observed between the electric- and magnetic-field effects is attributed to electrically induced magnetoresistance.

Preparation of La1−xSrxMnO3 nanoparticles by sonication-assisted coprecipitation

La{sub 1-x}Sr{sub x}MnO{sub 3} (x=0.3) (LSM) nanoparticles were prepared by a sonication-assisted coprecipitation method. The coprecipitation reaction is carried out with ultrasound radiation. Lower sintering temperatures are required for the sonication-assisted product. Fully crystallized LSM with an average particle size 24 nm is obtained after the as-prepared mixture is annealed at 900 deg. C for 2 h. Magnetic properties indicate that the transition temperature from the paramagnetic to ferromagnetic state of the sample is quite sharp and occurs at 366 K for samples annealed for 2 h at 900 and 1100 deg. C.

Magnetic properties of nanocrystalline La1- xMnO3+δ manganites : Size effects

The magnetic properties of nanocrystalline manganites La1?xMnO3+? with particle size of 20 (LMO20), 25 (LMO25), and 30 nm (LMO30), prepared by the citrate method, have been investigated in the temperature range 5?320?K, magnetic field up to 90?kOe and under quasi-hydrostatic pressures up to 14.5?kbar. The studies involve sequential zero-field-cooled magnetization (M) measurements followed by magnetization measurements during cooling in the same magnetic field (H) and complementary measurements of ac susceptibility. Additional measurements of M versus H were carried out at ambient and applied pressures. All nanoparticles exhibit a paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition (PFT) at a Curie temperature TC>200?K. It was found that the relative volume of the ferromagnetic phase increases for larger particle size and approaches a value of about 93% for LMO30. The real part of the ac susceptibility of sample LMO20 exhibits strong frequency dependence in a wide temperature range below TC, whereas for sample LMO30 only relatively weak frequency dependence was observed. The magnetization of sample LMO30 exhibits a PFT of second order; the type of transition could not be established for the smaller particles. It was found that an applied pressure enhances the TC of La1?xMnO3+? nanoparticles with a pressure coefficient of dTC/dP?1.9?K?kbar?1 for LMO20 and dTC/dP?1.4?K?kbar?1 for LMO25 and LMO30 samples. Peculiar magnetic memory effects observed for sample LMO20 are discussed.

The nature of the low-temperature minimum of resistivity in ceramic manganites

Abstract Electrical transport measurements were carried out on a ceramic samples of La 0.5 Pb 0.5 MnO 3 containing 10 at.% of Ag in a dispersed form and La 0.8 Sr 0.2 MnO 3 . Their resistivity at zero applied magnetic field exhibits a shallow minimum at the interval of T ∼25–30 K. This minimum shifts towards lower T upon applying a magnetic field ( H ) and disappears at a certain field H cr , while residual resistivity decreases notably with increasing of H . It is found that the bulk-scattering model is not adequate for describing of such behavior of ρ in the presence of H . It seems that the proposed model of charge-carrier tunneling between antiferromagnetically coupled grains accounts for the results obtained in spite of significant difference in the crystallinity (grain size) of the samples.

Magnetotransport in granular LaMnO3+δ manganite with nano-sized particles

Transport and magnetic properties of compacted LaMnO3+? manganite nanoparticles of an average size of 18?nm have been investigated in the temperature range 5?300?K. The nanoparticles exhibit a paramagnetic-to-ferromagnetic (FM) transition at the Curie temperature TC ~ 246?K. However, the spontaneous magnetization disappears at a higher temperature of about 270?K. It was found that at low temperatures the FM core occupies about 50% of the particle volume. The temperature dependence of the resistivity shows a metal?insulator transition and a low-temperature upturn below the resistivity minimum at T ~ 50?K. The transport at low temperatures is controlled by the charging energy and spin-dependent tunnelling through grain boundaries. It has been found that the charging energy decreases monotonically with increasing magnetic field. The low temperature I?V characteristics are well described by an indirect tunnelling model while at higher temperatures both direct and resonant tunnelling dominates. The experimental features are discussed in the framework of a granular ferromagnet model.

Inherent inhomogeneity in the crystals of low-doped lanthanum manganites

The X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technique and the model analysis of the EPR susceptibility versus temperature were employed to characterize the dopant distribution in a number of La-manganite crystals, low doped with Ca, Sr, and Ba in a La site. Such distribution appears to be inhomogeneous as a result of technological-driven effect. It is emphasized that the above chemical disorder influences strongly both magnetic state and transport of the low-doped manganite crystals.

Magnetic, electric and electron magnetic resonance properties of orthorhombic self-doped La1−xMnO3 single crystals

The effect of lanthanum deficiency on structural, magnetic, transport, and electron magnetic resonance (EMR) properties has been studied in a series of La1−xMnO3 (x = 0.01, 0.05, 0.11, 0.13) single crystals. The x-ray diffraction study results for the crystals were found to be compatible with a single phase of orthorhombic symmetry. The magnetization curves exhibit weak ferromagnetism for all samples below 138 K. It was found that both the spontaneous magnetization and the coercive field increase linearly with x. The pressure coefficient dTN/dP decreases linearly with self-doping, from a value of 0.68 K kbar−1 for La0.99MnO3 to 0.33 K kbar−1 for La0.87MnO3. The resistivity of low-doped La0.99MnO3 crystal is of semiconducting character, while that of La0.87MnO3 depends weakly on temperature between 180 and 210 K. It was found that the magnetic and transport properties of the self-doped compounds may be attributed to a phase separation involving an antiferromagnetic matrix and ferromagnetic clusters. The latter phases as well as their paramagnetic precursors have been directly observed by means of EMR.

Chemical disorder influence on magnetic state of optimally-doped La0.7Ca0.3MnO3

X-band electron magnetic resonance and dc/ac magnetic measurements have been employed to study the effects of chemical disorder on magnetic ordering in bulk and nanometer-sized single crystals and bulk ceramics of optimally-doped La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 manganite. The magnetic ground state of bulk samples appeared to be ferromagnetic with the lower Curie temperature and higher magnetic homogeneity in the vicinity of the ferromagnetic-paramagnetic phase transition in the crystal, as compared with those characteristics in the ceramics. The influence of technological driven “macroscopic” fluctuations of Ca-dopant level in crystal and “mesoscopic” disorder within grain boundary regions in ceramics was proposed to be responsible for these effects. Surface spin disorder together with pronounced inter-particle interactions within agglomerated nano-sample results in well defined core/shell spin configuration in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 nano-crystals. The analysis of the electron paramagnetic resonance data enlightened the reasons f...