Impact of Cu Doping on the Structure and Electronic Properties of LaCr1–yCuyO3

Abstract

Oxides of the type LaCr1-yCuyO3 have been prepared using solid-state methods and their crystal structures refined using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. The solubility limit of Cu was found to be around y = 0.2, and such oxides are orthorhombic in space group Pbnm. X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements at the Cr and Cu L-edges demonstrated that the Cr remains trivalent upon Cu doping, with the Cu being present as Cu(III). The oxides are found to be antiferromagnets, and the Néel temperature, TN, decreases as the Cu content is increased. The crystal and magnetic structures of one example La(Cr0.85Cu0.15)O3 have been investigated between 3 and 350 K by neutron powder diffraction. The samples are semiconductors.