Effect of Cr-doping on magnetic phase separation in Bi0.5Ca0.5MnO3

The effect of Cr doping on the magnetic phase separation in Bi0.5Ca0.5Mn(1-x)CrxO3 (x = 0 - 0.05) was explored by temperature dependent Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) studies. The volume fraction of ferromagnetic (FM) domains increase at the expense of antiferromagnetic (AFM) domains and the Charge Ordering (CO) is suppressed with the increase in Cr content. With increase in Cr content the CO transition is smeared and it almost disappears at x = 0.05. The CO temperature, TCO, decreases from 317K to 278K as x increases from 0 to 0.05. The Neel temperature TN, is ∼160K for the x = 0 and 0.01 samples and it decreases to ∼ 120 K for sample with x = 0.05. A strong competition between the FM and AFM correlations is observed as a function of composition and temperature in the temperature range TN < T < TCO.