Negative Magnetoresistance in (Bi,Pb)2Sr3Co2O9 Layered Cobalt Oxides

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Abstract
Transport and magnetic properties of layered cobalt oxide (BiPb)2Sr3Co2O9 are investigated in detail under magnetic field up to 8 T. Parent compound, Bi2Sr3Co2O9, is a typical band insulator with Co ions being in a low-spin 3+ state because of the well-separated dε and dγ levels possibly due to a strong crystal field. We have tried to introduce holes mainly by Pb substitution for Bi. The hole-doped sample shows metallic behavior in a resistivity measurement between 300 and 30 K. Below 30 K, however, the resisitivity increases. Under the magnetic field the resistivity is strongly suppressed in this region. We observed more than 30% resistivity drop at 2 K under H = 8 T, which is comparable to insulating (La,Sr)CoO3 system. We discuss the mechanism of hole doping and the origin of negative magnetoresistance with tranport and magnetic properties, and point out that the conventional double-exchange mechanism cannot be applied to this system. This means that some new mechanism is necessary to explain this phenomenon.