Ferromagnetic behavior in Mn‐doped LaAlO3 single crystals

LaAlO3 single crystals were doped with transition element Mn by thermal diffusion method for investigation of ferromagnetism. With increasing the annealing temperature TN, ferromagnetism begins to appear when TN equals 750 °C, which is indicated by small magnetic hystersis (M -H) loop with low coercive field of 60 Oe measured at 60 K. After TN arrives at 1300 °C, obvious M -H loop can be observed at 60 K and the M -T curve displays sharp Curie phase transition, which shows an unambiguous ferromagnetism. A bound magnetic polaron model was proposed to understand the observed ferromagnetic behavior in Mn-doped LaAlO3 single crystals. (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)