Magnetic and magnetoresistive properties of La0.65−xEuxSr0.35MnO3

Eu-doped perovskites La0.65−xEuxSr0.35MnO3 (0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.30) were synthesized by sol–gel method using citric acid and characterized by X-ray diffraction, magnetization, resistivity and magnetoresistance (MR) experiments. All samples had a single hexagonal perovskite structure. As x increased from 0.05 to 0.30, the Curie temperature TC for the samples decreased from 352 to 242 K. It was found that two transition points appeared when the resistivity changed with increasing temperature, and upon an application of a magnetic field of 20 kOe the maximum magnetoresistivity of 18% for the La0.65−xEuxSr0.35MnO3 with x = 0.20 was obtained at room temperature 300 K. The mechanism of the transitions for the samples was explored.