Influence of Ni2+ incorporation into the lanthanum manganite lattice: fine-tuning of magnetic ordering for spintronic applications

The ABO₃ type materials (perovskites) have garnered significant attention in the field of spintronics owing to their tunable magnetic properties. The focus of this study is to prepare nanoparticles of LaMn_1-yNi_yO₃ (y = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8) and tune their magnetic properties by varying nickel doping concentration. The material was prepared via solution combustion synthesis (SCS) and its structural, morphological, elemental, compositional and thermal properties were investigated and correlated with the magnetic properties. The range of the crystallite size calculated using Scherrer formula is from 52 to 57 nm and the range of the particle size measured from morphological study is from 77 to 111 nm. From the magnetic studies, it is found that with increasing Ni doping, the Curie temperature (Tc) increases from 143 to 246 K (y = 0 to 0.4) before decreasing to 142 K (y = 0.8). The samples with lower Ni content (y = 0 and 0.2) displayed higher saturation magnetization (Ms) and remanent magnetization (Mr) values. Their higher coercivity (Hc) made them less ideal for spintronics applications. In contrast, samples with lower Hc (y = 0.6 and 0.8) showed reduced Ms and Mr, which could affect their overall performance. Notably, the sample with y = 0.4, exhibiting Ms of 53.27 emu/g, Mr of 12.32 emu/g, and Hc of 0.024 T, offers a good balance, making it a better candidate for spintronics applications. This study highlights the impact of Ni substitution at the Mn-site on the magnetic properties of LaMnO₃ nanoparticles, offering insights into their potential use in spintronics applications.