Mn-site-substituted lanthanum manganites: destruction of electron pathway and local structure effects on Curie temperature

Abstract Curie temperature of La 0.7 Ca 0.3 Mn 1− x Sc x O 3 decreases for about 35 K for each 1% Sc doping from x =0 to 0.03 because the weakening of double-exchange interaction. It is mostly caused by the damaging of pathway for the itinerant e g electrons due to a difference in electron configuration between Mn 3+ and Sc 3+ ions and partially due to the change in the local parameters of MnO 6 octahedra because of the larger Sc 3+ ion than the Mn 3+ one.