Effect of strain on the magnetic and transport properties of the composite manganites, La$_{2/3}$Ca$_{1/3}$MnO$_3$/yttria-stabilized zirconia

Abstract

The magnetic and transport properties have been investigated for the composite polycrystalline manganites, (1-x)$La_{2/3}Ca_{1/3}MnO_3$/(x)yttria-stabilized zirconia ((1-x)LCMO/(x)YSZ), at various YSZ fractions, x, ranging from 0 % to 15 %. The ac magnetic susceptibility, $χ(T)$, DC magnetization, $M(T)$, temperature dependent resistivity, $ρ(T)$ and thermoelectric power (TEP), $S(T)$, have been measured. It was found, surprisingly, that a TEP peak showed up in the magnetic transition region for the sample with the x even as little as 0.75 %. The magnetic transition temperature reaches the minimum value as x increases from 0 % to 4.5 % and goes up as x increases further. Several possible factors such as the effect of strain, the finite size effect, and the effect of magnetic tunnelling coupling, {\it etc.}, in affecting the above physical properties of the composite manganites have been studied carefully. The strain induced by the YSZ/LCMO boundary layer (BL) was identified as the leading factor to account for the x dependence of these properties. It demonstrates that the effect of strain could be important in the bulk manganites as in the film sample.