Magnetotransport properties of La<Subscript>0.67</Subscript>Ca<Subscript>0.33</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> with different grain sizes

The magnetotransport and magnetoresistive (MR) properties of manganese-based La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ perovskite with different grain sizes are reported. The electrical resistivity was measured as a function of temperature in magnetic fields of 0.5 and 1 T. The insulator–metal transition temperature, T _IM, shifted to a higher temperature with the application of the magnetic field. In zero field, T _IM is almost constant (∼271 K) for all samples except for the sample with the largest grain size, where T _IM=265 K. The temperature dependence of resistivity was fitted with several equations in the metallic (ferromagnetic) region and the insulating (paramagnetic) region. The density of states at the Fermi level, N(E _F), and the activation energy of electron hopping were estimated by fitting the resistivity versus temperature curves. The ρ–T ² curves are nearly linear in the metallic regime, but the ρ–T ^2.5 curves exhibit a deviation from linearity. The variable range hopping model and small polaron hopping model fit the data well in the high-temperature region, indicating the existence of the Jahn–Teller distortion that localizes the charge carriers. MR was found to increase with an increase in the magnetic field, an effect which is attributed to the intergrain spin tunneling effect.     

Magnetotransport and magnetocaloric effect in Ho<Subscript>2</Subscript>In

The magnetotransport and magnetic properties of the binary intermetallic compound Ho₂In have been investigated. Clear signature of long range ferromagnetic order in the resistivity and the magnetization data at T_C = 85 K is observed. A further spin reorientation type transition is also apparent in our measured data at around T_t = 32 K. The sample exhibits negative magnetoresistance (peak value of –14% at 5 T) over a wide temperature range that extends well above T_C. Substantially large magneto-caloric effect is also observed in the sample (maximum value of –8.5 J kg^-1K^-1 for 0 → 5 T), which peaks around the T_C of the sample. The observed magnetoresistance and magnetocaloric effect are related to the suppression of spin disorder by an external magnetic field. Ho₂In can be an interesting addition to the list of rare-earth based magnetic refrigerant materials showing magneto-caloric effect across a second order phase transition.     

Intrinsic metastability of low doped manganites: La<Subscript>0.8</Subscript>Ca<Subscript>0.2</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> case

Transport properties of phase separated La_0.8Ca_0.2MnO₃ crystals in the aged highly resistive metastable state were studied. It was found that the coexistence of different ferromagnetic phases at low temperatures is sensitive to electric current/field. In a contrast with the previously studied low resistivity metastable states the high resistivity state exhibits positive magnetoresistance and significant current dependence of the resistivity even at temperatures much higher than the Curie temperature. Application of current pulses results in appearance of zero bias anomaly in the current dependent conductivity. Similarly to the low resistivity metastable states the memory of the resistivity can be erased only after heating of the sample to T_e ≈360 K. After one year storage at room temperature the La_0.8Ca_0.2MnO₃ samples show clear signatures of aging. The aged samples spontaneously evolute towards high resistivity states. The results are discussed in the context of a coexistence of two ferromagnetic phases with different orbital order and different conductivity. The metallic ferromagnetic phase seems to be less stable giving rise to the experimentally observed electric field effects and aging.     

Characterization of Y<Subscript>2</Subscript>BaCuO<Subscript>5</Subscript> nanoparticles synthesized by nano-emulsion method

Nanoscale yttrium–barium–copper oxide (Y₂BaCuO₅, Y211) particles were synthesized using the emulsion method and the solution method. The basic water-in-oil (w/o) emulsion system consisted of n-octane (continuous oil phase), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (cationic surfactant), butanol (cosurfactant) and water. The composition of the emulsion system was varied and characterized by measuring the conductivity of the solutions and droplet size. The droplet size of emulsion was determined by using the dynamic light scattering method. The water content, cosurfactant content, and surfactant/n-octane ratio affected the droplet size which was in the range of 3–8 nm, and hence the w/o emulsion system was referred to as a nano-emulsion system. A model was used to verify the droplet size. The influence of salt (Y₂(NO₃)₃) content on the droplet size was investigated and the addition of salt reduced the droplet size. The effects of reaction time and temperature on the Y211 particle sizes were also investigated. The particles were characterized using the TEM, SEM, and XRD. Nanoparticles produced by the nano-emulsion method were calcined at 850°C to form the Y211 phase as compared to solid state processing temperature of 1050°C. Based on the TEM analysis, the average diameter of the Y211 particles produced using the nano-emulsion method was in the range of 30–100 nm. The effect of adding 15% Y211 nanoparticles to the superconductor YBCO-123 as flux pinning centers, was investigated, and the transition temperature was reduced by 3 K.     

Giant positive magnetoresistance in heterostructure (La<Subscript>0.7</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>0.3</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript>) coated with YBa<Subscript>2</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript> composites

(La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃) _x /(YBa₂Cu₃O₇) _y composites were prepared by mixing La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ powders and the sol–gel-derived YBa₂Cu₃O₇ matrix, followed by high-temperature calcinations. Their structural, magnetic properties and magnetoresistance effect have been investigated systematically. A giant positive magnetoresistance (PMR) at low magnetic field is observed at low temperatures. In the case of (La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃)₁/(YBa₂Cu₃O₇)₉ composite, the PMR achieves 260% under a magnetic field of 5800 Oe. However, the PMR value sharply decreases with increasing temperature and no magnetoresistance effects are found above metal-insulator transition temperature. The enhancement of spin-dependent scattering at the grain boundaries should be responsible for the observed PMR. In addition, the temperature dependence of resistance under magnetic field could be explained by the competition between diamagnetism and paramagnetism in YBCO phase. At low temperature, the diamagnetism is predominant over paramagnetism and the interface scattering between LSMO grains is enhanced correspondingly. As a result, the low-temperature resistance increases and large PMR appears.     

Resistive switching in β-SrV<Subscript>6</Subscript>O<Subscript>15</Subscript>

We investigate the pressure and temperature behavior of current-dependent resistivity of β-SrV₆O₁₅. We observe a switching between states of different resistivities in the insulating state of β-SrV₆O₁₅. In the low pressure phase, the resistive switching appears at temperatures below the semiconductor-insulator transition. In the high pressure phase, under ~1.6 GPa, the switching appears in the temperature range of the phase transition. The existence of switching may imply an important role of strontium off-stoichiometry for the electrical transport in β-SrV₆O₁₅. No electric-field-induced enhancement of the conductivity is observed. However, the conduction is significantly nonlinear under ~1.6 GPa, indicating that the charge order pattern in the high pressure phase is considerably different from that of the low pressure phase.     

Galvanomagnetic transport properties of nitrogenated (La,Sr)MnO<Subscript>3-δ</Subscript> and LaMnO<Subscript>3-δ</Subscript>

Epitaxial thin films of nitrogenated La_0.65Sr_0.30MnO₃ were grown on MgO(100) substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The nitrogenation was achieved by a continuous nitrogen flow in the PLD chamber with pressures of up to 0.12 mbar. The chemical analysis of the samples regarding the exchange of oxygen by nitrogen was achieved by time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, sputtered neutral mass spectrometry (SNMS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) and yielded a content of incorporated nitrogen ranging from 0.6% to 3.8%. Without nitrogenation the electrical resistivity of La_0.65Sr_0.30MnO₃ exhibited a metal–insulator (MI) transition at about 180 K. The magnetoresistance (MR) effect (ΔR/R(0)) was about -50% at the transition temperature. Our nitrogen contents affected the MI transition so as to completely disappear and resulted in a resistivity increase of more than three orders of magnitude as well. By carefully reoxidizing the samples with subsequent heat treatments in air the MI transition reappeared at lower temperatures and we found a continuously enhanced MR ratio for decreasing temperatures. MR ratios of more than -99% were observed for a magnetic field of 10 T. The results are interpreted as a percolation phenomenon of ferromagnetic–metallic domains within an antiferromagnetic–semiconducting matrix. PACS 75.47.Gk; 75.47.Lx; 74.62.Dh; 81.15.Fg     

Magnetotransport characteristics of strained La<Subscript>0.7</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>0.3</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> epitaxial manganite films

The electrical and magnetic characteristics of La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ (LSMO) epitaxial manganite films are investigated by different methods under conditions when the crystal structure is strongly strained as a result of mismatch between the lattice parameters of the LSMO crystal and the substrate. Substrates with lattice parameters larger and smaller than the nominal lattice parameter of the LSMO crystal are used in experiments. It is shown that the behavior of the temperature dependence of the electrical resistance for the films in the low-temperature range does not depend on the strain of the film and agrees well with the results obtained from the calculations with allowance made for the interaction of electrons with magnetic excitations in the framework of the double-exchange model for systems with strongly correlated electronic states. Investigations of the magneto- optical Kerr effect have revealed that an insignificant (0.3%) orthorhombic distortion of the cubic lattice in the plane of the NdGaO₃(110) substrate leads to uniaxial anisotropy of the magnetization of the film, with the easy-magnetization axis lying in the substrate plane. However, LSMO films on substrates (((LaAlO₃)_0.3+(Sr₂AlTaO₆)_0.7)(001)) ensuring minimum strain of the films exhibit a biaxial anisotropy typical of cubic crystals. The study of the ferromagnetic resonance lines at a frequency of 9.76 GHz confirms the results of magnetooptical investigations and indicates that the ferromagnetic phase in the LSMO films is weakly inhomogeneous.     

Reluctance of the YBa<Subscript>2</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>x</Subscript> oxygen-deficient ceramics

Influence of an external magnetic field on the reluctance of the YBa ₂ Cu ₃ O _x ceramics is investigated. A significant reluctance of the oxygen-deficient ceramics (with critical temperature T_c < 77 K) is established for a sample in the normal state at T < 160 K. It is demonstrated that after ceramics annealing that restores the oxygen content to a nearly optimum value, the magnetic field has essentially no effect on the sample reluctance at temperatures exceeding T_c. To explain the revealed mechanisms, a model involving ferromagnetic clusters effectively decreasing the free carrier density is used. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 4, pp. 68–71, April, 2007.     

Frustrated exchange interactions formation at low temperatures and high hydrostatic pressures in La<Subscript>0.70</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>0.30</Subscript>Mn<Subscript>O2.85</Subscript>

The magnetic and thermal properties of the anion-deficient La_0.70Sr_0.30MnO_2.85 manganite are investigated in wide temperature (4–350 K) range, including under hydrostatic pressure (0–1.1 GPa). Throughout the pressure range investigated, the sample is spin glass with diffused phase transition into paramagnetic state. It is established, that spin glass state is a consequence of exchange interaction frustration of the ferromagnetic clusters embeded into antiferromagnetic clusters. The magnetic moment freezing temperature T _f of ferromagnetic clusters increases under pressure, freezing temperature dependence on pressure is characterized by derivative value ∼4.5 K/GPa, while the magnetic ordering T _MO temperature dependence is characterized by derivative value ∼13 K/GPa. The volume fraction of sample having ferromagnetic state is V _fer ∼ 13% and it increases under a pressure of 1.1 GPa by ΔV _fer ≈ 6%. Intensification of ferromagnetic properties of the anion-deficient La_0.70Sr_0.30MnO_2.85 manganite under hydrostatic pressure is a consequence of oxygen vacancies redistribution and unit cell parameters decrease. The most likely mechanism of frustrated exchange interactions formation is discussed.     

Effect of charge carriers on the magnetic properties of the CdCr<Subscript>2</Subscript>Se<Subscript>4</Subscript> ferromagnetic semiconductor

The results of an investigation into how the composition of annealing mixtures influences the Curie temperature of single crystals of the CdCr₂Se₄ ferromagnetic semiconductor are reported. The mechanism of doping of single crystals is analyzed, and the role played by each of the components of the annealing batch is established. It is concluded that the indirect exchange involving n-type carriers near impurity gallium ions leads to a sharp increase in the phase transition temperature (from 130 to 172 K) of the samples. The dependences of the magnetization of samples with different phase transition temperatures on the temperature and magnetic field are compared.     

Critical behavior of the heat capacity of the manganite La<Subscript>0.87</Subscript>K<Subscript>0.13</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript>

The heat capacity of the manganite La_0.87K_0.13MnO₃ has been measured in the temperature range 80–350 K. The nature of the ferromagnetic phase transition and the critical properties of heat capacity near the Curie temperature have been studied. The regularities of variations in the universal critical parameters near the phase transition point have been established. The calculated critical exponent and amplitudes of the heat capacity with allowance for corrections on the scaling (α = −0.13 and A ⁺/A ⁻ = 1.178) correspond to the critical behavior of the 3D Heizenberg model.     

Synthesis and structural characterization of uranium-doped Ca<Subscript>2</Subscript>CuO<Subscript>3</Subscript>, a one-dimensional quantum antiferromagnet

The technological settings of a modified sol-gel method for the preparation of highly fine homogeneous powder of Ca₂CuO₃ doped with uranium 238 (x= 0.0–0.05) is presented. The analysis of structure, purity of phases and the justification for the role of uranium in the given compounds are provided, together with an almost complete classification of the observed optical phonons by means of Raman, IR measurements and ab initio calculations. A significant reduction in particle size was achieved by doping, and a strong correlation between resistivity and doping concentration was observed and explained using the phonon-assisted electron hopping conduction model. The persistence of a covalent insulation state in all compounds is an interesting feature of this doping.     

High pressure study of the organic compound (TMTTF)<Subscript>2</Subscript>BF<Subscript>4</Subscript>

High pressure resistivity measurements of the organic compound (TMTTF)₂BF₄ have been performed in a newly developped Bridgman cell providing good pressure conditions on a wide pressure range. For the first time in this compound a zero resistance superconducting state is observed between 3 and 4 GPa. At temperatures above the superconducting transition, the resistivities of the two high quality samples show a different behavior. One sample, provides indications for a magnetic quantum critical point at the maximum of T_c, whereas in the other antiferromagnetic spin-fluctuations are present above T_c.     

Structural and electrical transport properties of nanosized La<Subscript>0.67</Subscript>Ca<Subscript>0.33</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> sample synthesized by a simple low-cost novel route

We have synthesized nanosized La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ by a simple low-cost novel synthesis route without calcination at high temperature. The study of these nanoparticles indicates excellent properties similar to colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) materials sintered at ∼1600°C for 20 h. The resulting particle size is in the range of 50–160 nm as determined by scanning electron microscopy. Resistivity measurement has been carried out down to 12 K. The sample shows metal-to-insulator (M–I) transition at 205 K.      

La<Subscript>0.7</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>0.3</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> thin films on SrTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> and CaTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> buffered Si substrates: structural,static, and dynamic magnetic properties

Nearly 50-nm thick La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ (LSMO) films were grown on Si substrates using molecular beam epitaxy on (001) Si substrates over-layered by a 20 nm thick SrTiO₃ (STO) or by a 20 nm thick CaTiO₃ (CTO) film. In addition, a reference LSMO film was directly deposited on a (001) STO substrate by pulsed laser deposition. For all the samples, X-ray diffraction revealed an excellent epitaxy of the LSMO film and small mosaicity around (001), with in-plane [100] and [010] cubic axes. The LSMO/CTO films are in-plane compressed while the LSMO/STO ones are in-plane extended. The temperature dependence of their static magnetic properties was studied using a SQUID, showing a Curie temperature overpassing 315 K for all the samples. Hysteresis loops performed at room temperature (294 K) with the help of a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) are also discussed. At 294 K Micro-strip ferromagnetic resonance (MS-FMR) was used to investigate the dynamic magnetic properties. It allows concluding to a strong anisotropy perpendicular to the films and to a weak fourfold in-plane anisotropy with easy axes along the [110] and [1[`1]0 1\bar{1}0 ] directions. Their values strongly depend on the studied sample and are presumably related to the strains suffered by the films.     

Impurity band in SnBi<Subscript>4</Subscript>Se<Subscript>7</Subscript>: thermoelectric power and electrical resistivity measurements

Thermoelectric power and electrical resistivity measurements on polycrystalline samples of Bi₂Se₃ and stoichiometric ternary compound in the quasi-binary system SnSe–Bi₂Se₃ in the temperature range of 90–420 K are presented and explained assuming the existence of an impurity band. The variation of the electron concentration with temperature above 300 K is explained in terms of the thermal activation of a shallow donor, by using a single conduction band model. The density of states effective mass m ^*=0.15m ₀ of the electrons, the activation energy of the donors, their concentration, and the compensation ratio are estimated. The temperature dependence of the electron mobility in conduction band is analyzed by taking into account the scattering of the charge carriers by acoustic phonon, optical phonon, and polar optical phonon as well as by alloy and ionized impurity modes. On the other hand, by considering the two-band model with electrons in both the conduction and impurity bands, the change in the electrical resistivity with temperature between 420 and 90 K is explained.     

Modulation of ultrafast laser-induced magnetization precession in BiFeO<Subscript>3</Subscript>-coated La<Subscript>0.67</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>0.33</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> thin films

The ultrafast laser-excited magnetization dynamics of ferromagnetic (FM) La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ (LSMO) thin films with BiFeO₃ (BFO) coating layers grown by laser molecular beam epitaxy are investigated using the optical pump-probe technique. Uniform magnetization precessions are observed in the films under an applied external magnetic field by measuring the time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect. The magnetization precession frequencies of the LSMO thin films with the BFO coating layers are lower than those of uncoated LSMO films, which is attributed to the suppression of the anisotropy field induced by the exchange interaction at the interface between the antiferromagnetic order of BFO and the FM order of LSMO.     

Properties of ferromagnetic resonance in Fe<Subscript>73.5</Subscript>CuNb<Subscript>3</Subscript>Si<Subscript>13.5</Subscript>B<Subscript>9</Subscript> nanocrystalline alloys

The structural properties and parameters of ferromagnetic resonance have been studied for Fe_73.5CuNb₃Si_13.5B₉ nanocrystalline alloys produced from the initial amorphous state via annealing under different conditions. The dependence of the linewidth of the ferromagnetic resonance on the grain size ΔH ∼ D ⁶ has been found. The result is discussed within the framework of the random magnetic anisotropy model.     

Preparation and characterization of LiMn<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanorod by low heating solid state coordination method

Cathode material LiMn₂O₄ nanorod was prepared by annealing of the mixed precursor which was synthesized by low heating solid state coordination method using lithium acetate, manganese acetate and oxalic acid as starting materials. The structures and morphologies of the LiMn₂O₄ nanorod were investigated as a function of annealing temperature and time. The results showed that all samples in different annealing temperatures and time have the same spinel structure. The higher the annealing temperature is, the more complete the crystal structure forms, and the larger the particle size is. In addition, the electrochemical properties of the LiMn₂O₄nanorod were studied in this paper.