A comparative study of magnetic field induced meta-magnetic transition in nanocrystalline and bulk Pr_0.65(Ca_0.7Sr_0.3)_0.35MnO₃ compound

Highlights: • Field induced sharp meta-magnetic transition appears even in nanocrystalline sample. • Magnetic field for the meta-magnetic transition enhances depending upon the cooling field. • This unusual behavior is addressed by the effect of the interfacial strains. - Abstract: In our present study we highlight the observations of external magnetic field induced sharp meta-magnetic transition in polycrystalline bulk as well as nanocrystalline form of Pr_0.65(Ca_0.7Sr_0.7)_0.35MnO₃ compound. Interestingly, such behavior persists in the nanoparticles regardless of the disorder broadened transition. However, higher magnetic field is required for nanoparticles having average particle size ∼40 nm for such meta-magnetic transition, which differs from the general trends of the pure charge ordered nano materials. The interfacial strain between the different magnetic domains plays the important role in magnetic isothermal properties of nanoparticles, when the samples are cooled down in different cooling field. Additionally, both the bulk and nanoparticle compounds exhibit spontaneous phase separation and significantly large magnetoresistance at the low temperature region due to the melting of charge ordered fraction.