Structural and electronic transport studies of self-doped Pr1−xMnO3±δ manganites

Abstract

Structural and electrical transport studies on polycrystalline self-doped Pr1−xMnO3±δ (with x=0, 0.1& 0.125) have been done using XRD and low-temperature resistivity measurement. The results of the Rietveld refinement of XRD data show that all these compounds crystallize in an orthorhombic structure with Pnma space-group. With increasing A-site vacancies, the unit cell volume decrease and lattice parameters undergo non monotonous change. The electrical transport studies reveal insulating behaviour with small polaron hopping above TC and a kink corresponding to canted-antiferromagnetic spin ordering.