Magnetic and transport properties driven by Sr substitution in polycrystalline Pr1-xSrxCoO3 (0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) cobaltites

Abstract

The effect of strontium (Sr) doping on the structural, magnetic, electrical, and thermal properties of Pr1-xSrxCoO3 (0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) has been studied. The samples were synthesized by using the conventional solid-state reaction method. The Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction patterns confirms the single-phase composition with orthorhombic (Pbnm) perovskite symmetry. The magnetization measurements revealed the paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition and the transition temperature (Tc) increased with increasing Sr doping. The effective magnetic moments determined by the Curie-Weiss law show an increase in the Sr concentration. The temperature dependence of electrical resistivity suppressed with increasing the Sr content. Moreover, all the compounds other than x = 0.5 show the semiconducting nature. All semiconductor compositions (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4) in the high temperature region can be explained within the framework of the small polaron hopping model and the variable range hopping model, whereas the metallic composition (x = 0.5) is explained by electron-electron, electron-phonon, and electron-spin fluctuation scattering processes. The Seebeck coefficient (S) for all the samples except x= 0.5 is found to be positive, thereby confirming the applicability of the small polaron hopping model in the high-temperature region. The sample with x = 0.5 exhibits a crossover in S from positive to negative values and again attains a positive value.