Simultaneous observation of positive and negative giant magnetoresistances in composite (La0.83Sr0.17MnO3)1－x(ITO)x

We have studied the transport property of the composites （La0.83Sr0.17 MnO3）1-x（ITO）x [ITO=（In2O3）0.95 （SNO2）0.05], which were fabricated by mechanically mixing La0.83Sr0.17MnO3 and ITO grains. A giant positive magnetoresistance （PMR） has been observed above the Curie temperature Tc for samples with x around 0.40, in addition to the negative magnetoresistanee related to spin-dependent interracial tunnelling below To. For （La0.83Sr0.17MnO3）0.6（ITO）0.4, the magnetoresistive ratio for the PMR can reach 39.3% under a magnetic field H=2.24×10^5A/m. Theoretical analysis suggests that the magnetic-field-induced broadening of the p-n barrier between both kinds of grains and the density of the p-n heterostructures should be responsible for the PMR behaviour.     

Enhanced Magnetoresistance of （La0.67Ca0.33MnO3） Composites Coated by Zn0.95Co0.05O

La0.7Ca0.3MnO3：xZn0.95Co0.05O （x=0.0,0.05, 0.1, 0.15mol） composites are prepared by a sol-gel process. X- ray diffraction and energy diffraction spectroscopy reveal that there is no evidence of a reaction between the La0.7 Ca0.3 MnO3 （LCMO） and Zn0.95Co0.05 O （ZCO）. Magnetization M, Curie temperature Tc and metal-insulator transition temperatures Tp are observed to decrease with increasing ZCO content. Compared with x = 0.0, a great enhancement in the magnetoresistance （MR） is observed at around Tc for x = 0.05, 0.10, 0.15. Based on the tunneling MR and percolation models, this great change of MR is well explained.     

Electrical Transport and Magnetoresistance in the Sol-Gel Prepared La2／3Ca1／3Mn1-xTExO3 （x=0 and 4%, TE=Cu and Zn） Polycrystalline Samples

A comparative st udy of electrical transport and magnetoresistance (MR) is performed for sol-gel prepared samples of nominal composition La2/3 Cal/3MnO3, La2/3 Cal/3Mnl-x CuxO3 and La2/3 Ca1/3Mn1-x ZnxO3 with x = 4%.Compared with La2/3 Ca1/3MnO3, the introduction of Cu or Zn causes a significant downward shift of insulatormetal transition and a sharp MR peak near the transition. The sharp MR peak becomes observable even upon the application of low magnetic fields. It is also shown that although the same behaviour of transport and MR is observed, the sample containing Cu stands out clearly from the sample containing Zn for a substantial enhancement in MR near the transition.     

Effect of High Resistance Phases on Metal—Insulator Transition of La0.67Ca0.33MnO3

The temperature dependence of resistivity ρ of YSZ doping composite of (1-x) La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 xYSZ and Y2O3 doping composite of (1-y) La0.67MnO3 yY2O3 is investigated,respectively,in a temperature range 77-300K,where the YSZ represents yttria-stabilized zirconia(8mol%Y2O3 92mol% ZrO2).Experimental results show that the YSZ doping level has important effects on both the metal-insulator(M-I) transition temperatures and zero field resistivity of the composites of (1-x) La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 xYSZ.However,the Y2O3 doping level has little effect on the M-I transition temperatures and the zero field resistivity of (1-y)La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 yY2O3 only increases slightly.The difference between the two types of composites may mainly results from the different distribution of high resistance phases at the grain boundaries and /or surfaces of La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 grains rather than the substitution of La^3 ions with Y^3 ions.     

Effect of Cu doping on the magnetic and electrical properties of n=2 Ruddlesden-Popper manganates

A series of polycrystalline Cu-doped n=2 Ruddlesden-Popper manganates La1.2Sr1.8CuzMn（2-x）O7 （x=0, 0.04, 0.13） were synthesized by the solid state reaction method. The effect of Cu doping on the magnetic and transport properties has been studied. It is found that Cu substitution for Mn greatly affects the magnetic and electrical properties of the parent phase La1.2Sr1.8Mn2O7. With the increase of Cu content, the system undergoes a transition from longrange ferromagnetic order to the spin glass state and further to an antiferromagnetic order. A little of Cu dopant can lead to the samples showing semiconductor or insulator behaviour in the whole observed temperature range while the parent phase has a metal-insulator transition. These samples show colossal magnetoresistance at low temperatures and the value of it decreases with increasing Cu content.     

Spontaneous magnetization and resistivity jumps in bilayered manganite （La0.8Eu0.2）4/3Sr5/3Mn2O7 single crystals

Owing to the inhomogeneous state resulting from the doping of a small number of Eu ions into Laa/3Sr5/3Mn2O7, from the resulting single crystal （La0.8Eu0.2）a/3Sr5/3Mn2O7 we have observed the magnetization jump, the resistivity jump, as well as the relaxation phenomena. For （Lao.sEuo.2）a/3Sr5/3Mn2O7, it has a very delicate ground state due to the interplays among spin, charge, orbital, lattice degrees of freedom. Consequently, the magnetization state is sensitive to temperature, magnetic field, as well as time. Meanwhile, the evolution of the magnetization with time shows a spontaneous jump when both the temperature and the magnetic field are constant. Similar step-like behaviours are also observed in resistivity. All these results suggest that Eu doping can greatly modulate the physical properties of Laa/3Sr5/3Mn2O7 and cause such interesting behaviours.     

Anomalous magnetostrictive effects in （La1—xTbx）2／3Sr1／3 MnO3

A series of (La_{1-x}Tb_x)_{2/3}Sr_{1/3}MnO_3 polycrystalline samples has been studied by means of x-ray diffraction, magnetostriction, and thermal expansion measurements. It has been found that this series undergoes a phase transition from a rhombohedral to an orthorhombic form at the doping level x≈0.20 at room temperature accompanied by an anisotropic magnetostriction up to －50×10^{-6} under a magnetic field of 1T. The linear and volume magnetostrictions vary with chemical composition, even change sign. At T=80K, the magnetostrictions for the samples of x=0.20 and 0.40 exhibit different behaviours. The sample of x=0.20 has positive volume and linear magnetostrictions and a negative anisotropic magnetostriction, while the sample of x=0.40 has an opposite behaviour. The magnitude of volume magnetostriction for both the samples is essential (～10^{-4}) at T=80K under a magnetic field of 4T. We conclude that these anomalous effects are due to the charge delocalization and the structural phase transition between orthorhombic and rhombohedral forms induced by the applied magnetic field.     

Determination of Thermal Diffusivity of a Manganite Thin Film

Thermal diffusivity has been investigated in a manganite thin film La0.6Sr0.4MnO3 by means of transient grating （TG） technique at room temperature. A new method, which is generalized to two-layered samples of the thin film deposited on a semi-infinite substrate, is established to fit the TG signals. The thermal diffusivity of the Lao.6Sro.4MnO3 thin film with a thickness of 200nm on an MgO （100） substrate is determined to be 0.92mm^2/s, which is slightly smaller than that of the single crystal sample （1 mm^2/s）.     

Resonant tunnelling of the magnetization in molecular crystal of [（Mn1-xCrx）12O12 （CH3COO）16（H2O）4]·2CH3COOH·4H2O（x=0,0.03,0.04,0.05）

The quantum tunnelling of magnetization （QTM） in single crystals of the single molecule magnet （Mn1-xCrx）12- Ac （x=0, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05） has been investigated. In comparison with its parent Mnl2-Ac, a greater rate of magnetization relaxation and a lower effective potential-energy barrier have been observed in Cr-doping samples. This modulation of QTM due to the Cr-doping could be attributed to the small change of Sz due to the smaller spin of Cr itself and additional intrinsic but distributed transverse and longitudinal anisotropy raised by a subtle change of the local environment in the magnetic Mn12 core.     

Resonant tunnelling of the magnetization in molecular crystal of [（Mn1-xCrx）12O12 （CH3COO）16（H2O）4]·2CH3COOH·4H2O（x=0,0.03,0.04,0.05）

The quantum tunnelling of magnetization （QTM） in single crystals of the single molecule magnet （Mn1-xCrx）12- Ac （x=0, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05） has been investigated. In comparison with its parent Mnl2-Ac, a greater rate of magnetization relaxation and a lower effective potential-energy barrier have been observed in Cr-doping samples. This modulation of QTM due to the Cr-doping could be attributed to the small change of Sz due to the smaller spin of Cr itself and additional intrinsic but distributed transverse and longitudinal anisotropy raised by a subtle change of the local environment in the magnetic Mn12 core.