Magnetic and transport properties of electron-doped Ca_3−x Bi _x Mn₂O₇

Abstract

Ca_3−x Bi _x Mn₂O₇ with the nominal composition x=0.05, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 is synthesized by solid-state reaction. The refined X-ray diffraction pattern of Ca_2.807Bi_0.193Mn₂O₇ with the nominal Bi³⁺ content x=0.2 indicates that about 71 % of the Bi³⁺ ion enters into the Ca²⁺ (2a) site and the remaining 29 % is in the Ca²⁺ (4e) site. The doped Bi³⁺ ion produces a ferromagnetic component in the antiferromagnetic matrix. Below the transition temperature, at about 110 K, the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions coexist. The alignment of the magnetic moment is canted at 5 K. The electric transport shows insulating behavior. Around the magnetic transition, at about 110 K, the resistance sharply drops like a well. A model proposed by Glazman and Matveev (GM model) is applied to the thermal variation of the resistance from 40 K to 138 K. Above this temperature, it is due to thermally activated hopping of small polarons with the activation energy of 50 meV. A negative magnetoresistance, 17 %, is observed with the doping content as low as 0.05. The magnetoresistance is due to the spin-polarized inelastic tunneling through nonmagnetic localized states embedded in an insulating barrier.