Magnetic and electron transport properties of the rare-earth cobaltates, La0.7-xLnxCa0.3CoO3 (Ln = Pr, Nd, Gd and Dy) : A case of phase separation

Magnetic and electrical properties of four series of rare earth cobaltates of the formula La0.7-xLnxCa0.3CoO3 with Ln = Pr, Nd, Gd and Dy have been investigated. Compositions close to x = 0.0 contain large ferromagnetic clusters or domains, and show Brillouin-like behaviour of the field-cooled DC magnetization data with fairly high ferromagnetic Tc values, besides low electrical resistivities with near-zero temperature coefficients. The zero-field-cooled data generally show a non-monotonic behaviour with a peak at a temperatures slightly lower than Tc. The near x = 0.0 compositions show a prominent peak corresponding to the Tc in the AC-susceptibility data. The ferromagnetic Tc varies linearly with x or the average radius of the A-site cations, (rA). With increase in x or decrease in (rA), the magnetization value at any given temperature decreases markedly and the AC-susceptibility measurements show a prominent transition arising from small magnetic clusters with some characteristics of a spin-glass. Electrical resistivity increases with increase in x, showed a significant increase around a critical value of x or (rA), at which composition the small clusters also begin to dominate. These properties can be understood in terms of a phase separation scenario wherein large magnetic clusters give way to smaller ones with increase in x, with both types of clusters being present in certain compositions. The changes in magnetic and electrical properties occur parallely since the large ferromagnetic clusters are hole-rich and the small clusters are hole-poor. Variable-range hopping seems to occur at low temperatures in these cobaltates.Comment: 23 pages including figure

Electronic phase separation in the rare earth manganates, (La1-xLnx)0.7Ca0.3MnO3 (Ln = Nd, Gd and Y)

All the three series of manganates showsaturation magnetization characteristic of ferromagnetism, with the ferromagnetic Tc decreasing with increasing in x up to a critical value of x, xc (xc = 0.6, 0.3, 0.2 respectively for Nd, Gd, Y). For x > xc, the magnetic moments are considerably smaller showing a small increase around TM, the value of TM decreasing slightly with increase in x or decrease in . The ferromagnetic compositions (x xc) show insulator-metal (IM) transitions, while the compositions with x > xc are insulating. The magnetic and electrical resistivity behavior of these manganates is consistent with the occurrence of phase separation in the compositions around xc, corresponding to a critical average radius of the A-site cation, , of 1.18 A. Both Tc and TIM increase linearly when < rA > > or x xc as expected of a homogenous ferromagnetic phase. Both Tc and TM decrease linearly with the A-site cation size disorder at the A-site as measured by the variance s2. Thus, an increase in s2 favors the insulating AFM state. Percolative conduction is observed in the compositions with > < rAc >. Electron transport properties in the insulating regime for x > xc conforms to the variable range hopping mechanism. More interestingly, when x > xc, the real part of dielectric constant (e') reaches a high value (104-106) at ordinary temperatures dropping to a very small (~500) value below a certain temperature, the value of which decreases with decreasing frequency.Comment: 27 pages; 11 figures, Submitted to J.Phys:Condens Matte

Absence of ferromagnetism in Mn- and Co-doped ZnO

Following the theoretical predictions of ferromagnetism in Mn- and Co-doped ZnO, several workers reported ferromagnetism in thin films as well as in bulk samples of these materials. While some observe room-temperature ferromagnetism, others find magnetization at low temperatures. Some of the reports, however, cast considerable doubt on the magnetism of Mn- and Co-doped ZnO. In order to conclusively establish the properties of Mn- and Co-doped ZnO, samples with 6 percent and 2 percent dopant concentrations, have been prepared by the low-temperature decomposition of acetate solid solutions. The samples have been characterized by x-ray diffraction, EDAX and spectroscopic methods to ensure that the dopants are substitutional. All the Mn- and Co-doped ZnO samples (prepared at 400 deg C and 500 deg C) fail to show ferromagnetism. Instead, their magnetic properties are best described by a Curie-Weiss type behavior. It appears unlikely that these materials would be useful for spintronics, unless additional carriers are introduced by some means.Comment: 23 pages, 9 figures. submitted to J. Mater. Chem 200

Complementarity of perturbations driving insulator-to-metal transition in a charge ordered manganite

Modulation of charge carrier dynamics and hence electrical conductivity of solids by photoexcitation has been a rich field of research with numerous applications. Similarly, electric and magnetic field assisted enhancement of conductivity are of fundamental importance and technological use. Hole doped manganites of the type (A$_{1-x}$B$_{x})$MnO$_{3}$, where A and B are rare and alkaline earth metals respectively have the distinction of showing all three effects. Here we establish the complementarity of the electric, magnetic and photon fields in driving an insulator-metal transition in epitaxial thin films of La$_{0.175}$Pr$_{0.45}$Ca$_{0.375}$MnO$_{3}$ whose electrical ground state is insulating. Both pulsed and CW lasers cause a giant photon flux dependent enhancement of conductivity. It is further observed that electric and magnetic fields trigger the persistent enhancement of conductivity whose magnitude can be accentuated by application of these fields in parallel.Comment: 17 pages 6 figure

Do Hydrogen-Deficient Carbon Stars Have Winds?

We present high resolution spectra of the five known hydrogen-deficient carbon (HdC) stars in the vicinity of the 10830 angstrom line of neutral helium. In R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars the He I line is known to be strong and broad, often with a P Cygni profile, and must be formed in the powerful winds of those stars. RCB stars have similar chemical abundances as HdC stars and also share greatly enhanced O-18 abundances with them, indicating a common origin for these two classes of stars, which has been suggested to be white dwarf mergers. A narrow He I absorption line may be present in the hotter HdC stars, but no line is seen in the cooler stars, and no evidence for a wind is found in any of them. The presence of wind lines in the RCB stars is strongly correlated with dust formation episodes so the absence of wind lines in the HdC stars, which do not make dust, is as expected.NSFScience and Technology FacilitiesCouncilthe National Research CouncilCONICYTAustralian Research CouncilMinistﾴerio da Ciﾴencia e TecnologiaSECYTMcDonald Observator