Tuning Magnetoconductivity in LaMnO3 NPs through Cationic Vacancy Control

The inclusion of La-Mn vacancies in LaMnO3 nanoparticles leads to a noticeable change in conductivity behavior. The sample retains its overall insulator characteristic, with a typical thermal activation mechanism at high temperatures, but it presents high magnetoconductivity below 200 K. The activation energy decreases linearly with the square of the reduced magnetization and vanishes when the sample is magnetized at saturation. Therefore, it turns out that electron hopping between Mn3+ and Mn4+ largely contributes to the conductivity below the Curie temperature. The influence of the applied magnetic field on conductivity also supports the hypothesis of hopping contribution, and the electric behavior can be explained as being due to an increase in the hopping probability via spin alignment.

Automated summary

The presence of La-Mn vacancies in LaMnO3 nanoparticles leads to a significant change in conductivity behavior. The sample remains an insulator overall, showing typical thermal activation mechanism at high temperatures, but exhibits high magnetoconductivity below 200 K. The activation energy decreases linearly with the square of the reduced magnetization and disappears when the sample is magnetized at saturation. Therefore, electron hopping between Mn3+ and Mn4+ contributes largely to the conductivity below the Curie temperature. The influence of the applied magnetic field on conductivity also supports the hypothesis of hopping contribution, and the electric behavior can be explained as an increase in hopping probability via spin alignment.