Structural, magnetic, thermodynamic, and transport properties of A-site disordered Nd0.3Sm0.2Sr0.5MnO3

The structural, magnetic, thermodynamic, and transport properties of polycrystalline sample of A-site disordered Nd0.3Sm0.2Sr0.5MnO3 were investigated in an attempt to understand the effect of substitution of Sm over well-studied parent compound Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3. Samples were prepared by the solid-state ceramic route method and characterized by XRD and standard iodometric titration. DC magnetization of the sample was measured by a SQUID Magnetometer. Electrical resistivity of the sample was measured by the standard four probe method. Results showed that doping with Sm allowed first-order phase transition from ferromagnetic metal to antiferromagnetic insulator state and a charge ordering at 150 K was also observed. Magnetocaloric effect studies were carried out from the specific heat data.