Effect of oxygen deficiency on the electrical and magnetic properties of the manganites La1 ? x Ca x MnO3 ? α ( x = 0.5, 0.6, and 0.7)

The electrical conductivity of La_{1 − x} Ca _x MnO_{3 − α} (x = 0.5) alloys in a magnetic field of 0.6 T is investigated in the temperature range 78–300 K. According to the phase diagram, this compound at α = 0 corresponds to an intermediate region between the ferromagnetic conducting (x < 0.5) and antiferromagnetic semiconducting (x s> 0.5) phases and contains islands of the metallic phase. Under oxygen-deficient conditions, the fraction of the metallic phase increases and the semiconductor-metal transition takes place. The formation of bound islands of the metallic phase is observed under oxygen-deficient conditions in the La_0.4Ca_0.6MnO_{3 − α} compounds. Original Russian Text ? Yu.M. Baĭkov, E.I. Nikulin, Yu.P. Stepanov, 2008, published in Fizika Tverdogo Tela, 2008, Vol. 50, No. 8, pp. 1448–1451.