Competition between Band Filling and Steric Effect in Ordered Double Perovskites Sr_(2-x)La_xMnMoO_6

The ordered double perovskites, Sr2-xLaxMnMoO6, were prepared by sol-gel reaction. Structural, magnetic, and electrical properties were investigated for a series of ordered double perovskites Sr2- x Lax MnMoO6 （0 ≤ x ≤ 1 ）. The compounds have a monoclinic structure （space group P21/n） and the cell volume expands monotonically with La doping. The Tc and the magnetic moment rise and the cusp-like transition temperature below which the magnetic frustration occurs shifts to high temperature as x increases. With La doping, electrical resistivity of Sr2-x LaxMnMoO6 decreases only at low doping levels （x ≤0.2）; while at high doping levels （0.8≤x ≤1）, electrical resistivity tends to increase greatly. The resuits suggest that the competition between band filling effect and steric effect coexists in the whole doping range, and the formation of ferrimagnetic interactions is not simply at the expense of antiferromagnetic interactions.

Effects of the band-filling and Fe/Mo disorder on physical properties of Ca_2FeMoO_6

Both the band filling effect and Fe/Mo disorder have a close correlation with the physical properties of the double perovskite Ca2FeMoO6. Two series of Ca2FeMoO6and Nd0.3Ca1.7FeMoO6ceramics sintered at(1050℃, 1200℃, and 1300℃) were specially designed to comparatively investigate the band-filling effect and Fe/Mo disorder on the physical properties of Ca2FeMoO6. The x-ray diffraction indicates that Fe/Mo disorder is sensitive to the sintering temperature. The magnetization behavior is mainly controlled by the Fe/Mo disorder not by the band filling effect, manifested by a close correlation of saturated magnetization(Ms) with the Fe/Mo disorder. Interestingly, magnetoresistance(MR) property of the same composition is dominantly contributed by the grain boundary strength, which can be expressed by the macroscopic resistivity values. However, the band filling effect caused by the Nd-substitution can decrease the spin polarization, and thus suppress the MR performance fundamentally. Contrary to the MR response, the Curie temperature(TC) shows an obvious optimization due to the band filling effect, which increases the carrier density near the Fermi level responsible for the ferromagnetic coupling interaction strengthen. Maybe, our work can provoke further research interests into the correlation of the band-filling effects and Fe/Mo disorder with the physical properties of other Fe/Mo-based double perovskites.

Tunable Photonic Band Gaps In Photonic Crystal Fibers Filled With a Cholesteric Liquid Crystal

A photonic crystal fiber has been filled with a cholesteric liquid crystal. A temperature sensitive photonic band gap effect was observed, which was especially pronounced around the liquid crystal phase transition temperature.