Anomalous magnetic and transport properties of La(0.8-x)Eu(x)Sr0.2MnO3 (0.04 l.e. x l.e. 0.36) compounds

Anomalous magnetic and transport properties observed in the La0.8-xEuxSr0.2MnO3 (0.04 l.e x l.e. 0.36) compounds are presented in this paper. The Curie temperature (TC) decreases from 260 K for x = 0.04 to 188 K for x = 0.16 and surprisingly thereafter increases for higher Eu concentrations (x > 0.16) and becomes nearly constant ~230 K. Resistivity increases with Eu concentration up to x = 0.16 but decreases for higher Eu concentration (x > 0.16). In the magnetoresistance data, in addition to a peak corresponding to the insulator-metal transition at (TI-M1), a second peak is also observed at a relatively lower temperature, (TI-M2). Both TI-M1 and TI-M2 follow the same trend as TC. The unique variation of TC and magnetoresistance is explained on the basis of structure and disorder correlated to microscopic electronic phase segregation. The studies with the existing studies also point to the universibility of this consideration.