Ferromagnetic Metal to insulator transition in LaMn1-xMoXO3 system

Abstract

The structure, transport, and magnetic properties of the Mo doped perovskite LaMn_1-xMo_xO₃ (0, 0.01, 0.02 and 0.03) have been investigated. Room temperature X-ray diffraction shows two different structural phases; Orthorhombic phase in the range x < 0.01 and rhombohedral phase in the range x > 0.01. The sample with x = 0 undergoes the paramagnetic – ferromagnetic transition but no insulator – metal transition. Both  (T) and M (T) data reveal from ferromagnetic insulator (FMI) for all samples. The conduction mechanism in the paramagnetic state for all the samples is dominated by the 3D – variable range hopping mechanism. Mo doping favors the FMI-FMM transition with T_c increases with increasing the dopant concentration.