Mn site doping induced insulator to metal transition in Pr0.6Ca0.4MnO3

Abstract
The doping of a manganese site with various M elements M=Fe3+, Al3+, Ga3+, Ti4+, Sn4+, and Mg2+ was studied in insulating charge ordered manganite Pr0.6Ca0.4MnO3 that exhibits a canted CE-type magnetic structure. Whatever M, the charge ordering disappears for low x levels (x⩾0.02) in doped manganite Pr0.6Ca0.4Mn1−xMxO3. But the most important feature deals with the fact that a transition to a ferromagnetic metallic state is induced for M=Fe3+, Al3+, Ga3+, and Mg2+ in spite of the small size of the interpolated cation (Pr,Ca). In contrast, doping with a tetravalent cation does not drastically modify the magnetic and transport properties of the phase.