Influence of BTO phase on structural, magnetic and electrical properties of LCMO

A composite series consisting of colossal magnetoresistive and ferroelectric materials. with chemical formula La0.67Ca0.33MnO3(LCMO)-BaTiO3 (BTO) has been prepared by the solid state route. Influence of BTO phase on structural, magnetic and electric properties of LCMO phase has been investigated. By Xray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform of infrared spectroscopy we find that there is no interdiffusion between the LCMO and BTO phases. Susceptibility measurements reveal that the composite samples show paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition almost at the same Curie temperature (T-c) like the parent LCMO sample. Resistivity measurements on these composite samples show more prominent extrinsic metal-insulator (EMI) transition at a temperature T-EMI with a small signature of the other peak approximately at the temperature T-IMI corresponding to intrinsic M-I transition of the parent LCMO. Investigations on magnetoresistance (MR) using magnetic field upto 3 T show two kinds of contribution one is intrinsic MR and the other is extrinsic MR. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved