Magnetic and magnetotransport properties of Co-doped manganites with perovskite structure

A systematic study of the doping of the Mn-sites by cobalt in three series of manganites — La_0.76Ba_0.24(Mn_1−xCo_x)O₃ single crystals, La_2/3Ba_1/3(Mn_1−xCo_x)O₃ and La(Mn_1−xCo_x)O₃ ceramics has been performed. It was found that La(Mn_1−xCo_x)O₃ annealed at 800°C in the range 0.4x0.9 is a mixture of ferromagnetic domains with ordered Mn and Co ions and ionically disordered spin-glass domains. In the quenched samples the fraction of spin-glass-type component increases strongly. The La_2/3Ba_1/3(Mn_1−xCo_x)O₃ solid solutions exhibit also an evidence for phase separation in the range 0.5x0.8. All the La(Mn_1−xCo_x)O₃ samples show an insulating behavior, however, magnetoresistance reduces strongly when the cobalt content rises to x=0.5. The La_0.76Ba_0.24(Mn_1−xCo_x)O₃ single crystals show first-order phase transition below their Curie points associated with a change of ground state of the Co²⁺ ions. The magnetic phase diagrams are depicted. The results are discussed in terms of positive Mn³⁺–O–Mn⁴⁺, Mn³⁺–O–Mn³⁺, Mn⁴⁺–O–Co²⁺ and negative Mn⁴⁺–O–Mn⁴⁺, Co²⁺–O–Co²⁺, Co²⁺–O–Mn³⁺ superexchange interactions as well as Co²⁺ and Mn⁴⁺ ionic ordering.