Influence of Pr-doping on structural, electronic transport, magnetic properties of perovskite molybdates Sr1−xPrxMoO3 (0≤x≤0.15)

The effect of Pr-doping on structural, electronic transport, magnetic properties in perovskite molybdates Sr1−xPrxMoO3 (0≤x≤0.15) has been investigated. The Pr-doping at Sr-site does not change the space group of the samples, but decreases the lattice parameter a. The magnitude of resistivity ρ increases initially (x≤0.08) and then decreases with further increasing Pr-doping level x and ρ(T) behaves as T2 and T dependence in the low-temperature range blow T* and high-temperature range of 150 K<T<350 K, related to the electron–electron (e–e) and electron–phonon (e–ph) scattering, respectively. The magnetic susceptibility χ value of the sample increases with increasing x and the χ(T) curve for all samples can be well described by the model of exchange-enhanced paramagnetism. The specific heat magnitude in the low-temperature region increases with increasing Pr-doping level. The specific heat value agrees with the classical Dulong–Petit phonon specific heat, Ccl=3kBrNA=124.7 J/mol K in the high-temperature region and the temperature dependence of the specific heat can be well described by the formula Cp(T)/T=γe+βpT2 in the low-temperature range. These behaviors can be explained by the competition between the increase in the density of state (DOS) at Fermi energy level and the disorder effect due to Pr-doping.