Effect of trivalent cation substitution for manganese upon ferromagnetism in Ln0.57Ca0.43MnO3 (Ln=Pr, Nd)

The substitution of small contents of trivalent cations for manganese in the oxides Ln0.57Ca0.43Mn1−xMxO3 (Ln=Pr, Na) has been explored for M=Al, Ga, Fe, Cr, Sc, In. It is shown that similarly to Ba-doping, the M-doped Pr-manganites exhibit a great predisposition to ferromagnetism in a low magnetic field of 0.25 T, reaching ferromagnetic (FM) fractions of 85% for M=Ga and 100% for m=Cr, whereas in contrast only small FM fractions (∼8%) can be reached for the M-doped Nd-manganites. The great ability of both Pr and Nd manganites to exhibit ultrasharp steps at 2.5 K, at increasing magnetic field is also demonstrated. The different behaviors of the so-doped manganites are interpreted in terms of geometric effects (size of the A-sites cations and of the doping elements) and of electronic configurations and magnetic properties of the dopants.