We have investigated the temperature evolution of magnetism and its interrelation with structural parameters in the perovskite-based layered compound Sr2IrO4, which is believed to be a J(eff) = 1/2 Mott insulator. The structural distortion plays an important role in this material and induces a weak ferromagnetism in an otherwise antiferromagnetically ordered magnetic state with a transition temperature around 240 K. Interestingly, at low temperatures, below around 100 K, a change in the magnetic moment has been observed. Temperature dependent x-ray diffraction measurements show that sudden changes in structural parameters around 100 K are responsible for this. Resistivity measurements show insulating behavior throughout the temperature range across the magnetic phase transition. The electronic transport can be described with Mott's two-dimensional variable range hopping (VRH) mechanism, however, three different temperature ranges are found for VRH, which is a result of varying the localization length with temperature. A negative magnetoresistance (MR) has been observed at all temperatures in contrast to positive behavior generally observed in strongly spin-orbit coupled materials. The quadratic field dependence of MR implies the relevance of a quantum interference effect.

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Sr2IrO4 is an extensively studied spin-orbit coupling induced insulator with antiferromagnetic ground state. The delicate balance between competing energy scales plays crucial role for its low temperature phase, and the route of chemical substitution has often been used to tune these different energy scales. Here, we report an evolution of structural, magnetic and electronic properties in doped Sr2Ir1−xCuxO4 (x ≤ 0.2). The substitution of Cu 2+ (3d 9 ) for Ir 4+ (5d 5 ) acts for electron doping, though it tunes the related parameters such as, spin-orbit coupling, electron correlation and Ir charge state. Moreover, both Ir 4+ and Cu 2+ has single unpaired spin though it occupies different d-orbitals. With Cu substitution, system retains its original structural symmetry but the structural parameters show systematic changes. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy measurements show Ir 4+ equivalently converts to Ir 5+ and a significant enhancement in the density of states has been observed at the Fermi level due to the contribution from the Cu 3d orbitals, which supports the observed decrease in the resistivity with Cu substitution. While the long-range magnetic ordering is much weakened and the highest doped sample shows almost paramagnetic-like behavior the overall system remains insulator. Analysis of resistivity data shows mode of charge conduction in whole series follows 2dimensional variable-range-hopping model but the range of validity varies with temperature. Whole series of samples exhibit negative magnetoresistance at low temperature which is considered to be a signature of weak localization effect in spin-orbit coupled system, and its evolution with Cu appears to follow the variation of resistivity with x.

In the present study, we have synthesized polycrystalline samples of BaTi[Formula: see text]CoxO3 (BTCO) ([Formula: see text], 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07 and 0.10) with standard solid state reaction technique. The obtained samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy for structural study. The detailed structural analysis has been performed by Rietveld refinement using Fullprof program. We observed an increase in lattice parameters, which results due to substitution of Co[Formula: see text] with large ionic radii (0.9[Formula: see text]Å) for smaller ionic radii (0.6[Formula: see text]Å) Ti[Formula: see text]. Moreover, peak at 45.5∘ shifts to 45∘ on Co doping, which is due to structure phase transition from tetragonal to cubic. Raman study infers that the intensity of characteristic peaks decreases and line width increases with Co doping. The bands linked with the tetragonal structure (305[Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text]) decreased due to the tetragonal-to-cubic phase transition with Co doping. Our structural study reveals the expansion of BTCO unit cell and tetragonal-to-cubic phase transformation takes place. The results from different characterization techniques are conclusive and show structural evolution with Co doping. The samples are further characterized by dielectric spectroscopy, dielectric measurement reveals the increase of dielectric constant and transition [Formula: see text]C is observed for Barium titanate (BaTiO3), whereas transition disappears with Co doping. Both temperature and frequency-dependent tangent loss is also studied.

Double perovskite (DP) oxide material receive extensive research interest due to exciting physical properties with potential technological application. 3d based DP oxides are promising for exciting physics like magnetodielectric, ferroelectric, Griffith phase etc., specially Co/Mn DPs are gaining much research interest. In this paper we present the study of magnetic phase and transport properties in nano-crystalline Pr2CoMnO6 a 3d based double perovskite compound. This material shows a paramagnetic (PM) to ferromagnetic (FM) phase transition below 173 K marked by a rapid increase in magnetic moment due to spin ordering. We found divergence in inverse magnetic susceptibility (χ −1 ) from Curie weiss behavior around 206 K which indicates the evolution of Griffiths phase before actual PM-FM transition. We found that the Griffiths phase suppressed with increasing applied magnetic filed. For the understanding of charge transport in this material we have measured temperature dependent electrical resistivity. Pr2CoMnO6 is a strong insulator where resistivity increase abruptly below magnetic phase transition. To understand the effect of magnetic field on transport behavior we have also measured the magnetoresistance (MR) at different temperatures. Sample shows the negative MR with maximum value ∼22 % under applied magnetic field of 50 kOe at 125 K. MR follows quadratic field dependency above Tc however below Tc the MR shows deviation from this field dependency at low field.