We report the synthesis, (micro)structural, magneto-transport and magnetization of polycrystalline La 2/3 Ca 1/3 MnO 3 :Ag x composites with x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4. The temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) near ferromagnetic (FM) transition is increased significantly with addition of Ag. The FM transition temperature (T FM ) is also increased slightly with Ag addition. Magneto-transport measurements revealed that magneto-resistance MR is found to be maximum near T FM . Further the increased MR of up to 60% is seen above 300 K for higher silver added samples in an applied field of 7 Tesla. Sharp TCR is seen near T FM with highest value of up to 15 % for Ag (0.4) sample, which is an order of magnitude higher than as for present pristine sample and best value yet reported for any polycrystalline LCMO compound. Increased TCR, T FM and significant above room temperature MR of La 2/3 Ca 1/3 MnO 3 :Ag x composites is explained on the basis of improved grains size and connectivity with silver addition in the matrix. Better coupled FM domains and nearly conducting grain boundaries give rise to improved physical properties of the La 2/3 Ca 1/3 MnO 3 manganites. Ag composites Ag is not substituted into main LCMO lattice but remain rather as an additive in the system. (280 K) is comparable to aligned thin films [6,8,15] of LCMO, and to our knowledge is the best one yet obtained for any polycrystalline mangenites. As far fixed temperature and varying field MR is concerned its shape is changed from U type to V type. And is maximum at all fields up to 7 Tesla at 300 K. Infact with an increase in Ag content the low T below 300K MR% decrease and the room temperature 300 K increase. For LCMO: Ag (0.4) sample the MR of up to 60% is observed in 7 Tesla field at 300 K. Even at low fields of say 1 Tesla the MR of up to 16% is seen.The results of magnetization and magneto transport of LCMO:Ag x composites can be summarized as follows: 7 1. Ag does not substitute into host LCMO matrix in our polycrystalline LCMO:Ag x composites but improved significantly the grain morphology of the host.2. The T MI and T c remain nearly invariant with increase in x (Ag content).3. The sharpness of insulator-metal transition increases dramatically with increase in x (Ag content) and high (15%) sharp TCR is observed for Ag composites 4. Though the MR is seen in all the samples right from 300 K down to 5 K, the same is negligible at 300 K and more at lower T for pure sample and is maximum at 300 K and least at 5 K for Ag (0.4) containing compounds.
DISCUSSIONNow we try to explain in broad sense the main results summarized above, as far as (1) is concerned there are some very recent reports in literature, which deals with the LCMO and LCMO/ZrO 2 [20]. In all these composites the quality of the LCMO was deteriorated. In case of LCMO:Ag there is a good probability of Ag being distributed at grain boundaries and hence providing better connectivity of grains, which is seen in Fig. 2(b). In most of other composites [16][17][18][19][20] the addi...