Structure and magnetization studies of Nd 0.5− xPr xSr 0.5MnO 3 system

Abstract

The structural and magnetic properties of Nd 0.5− x Pr x Sr 0.5MnO 3 ( x=0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5) system have been investigated. With the substitution of Pr in Nd 0.5Sr 0.5MnO 3, it shows a gradual structure transformation from the Imma orthorhombic symmetry to the tetragonal I4/mcm phase, and the crystallographic transition remains incomplete, even in Pr 0.5Sr 0.5MnO 3. A large bifurcation between zero-field-cooled (ZFC) and field-cooled (FC) susceptibility has been observed below Curie temperature ( T C), which is characteristic of coexistence of ferromagnetism (FM) and antiferromagnetism (AFM) at low temperature region. The magnetization of Pr 0.5Sr 0.5MnO 3 is larger than that of Nd 0.5Sr 0.5MnO 3, while Nd 0.5Sr 0.5MnO 3 with more CE-type AFM shows larger magnetization than Nd 0.3Pr 0.2Sr 0.5MnO 3, which mixed with CE-type (majority) and A-type (minority) AFM at low temperature, indicating that the magnetization of Nd 0.5− x Pr x Sr 0.5MnO 3 system is affected by A-site disorder combined with orbital ordering of A-type AFM and CE-type AFM.