Charge disproportionate antiferromagnetism at the verge of the insulator-metal transition in doped LaFeO3

We explore the effects of electron doping in lanthanum ferrite, ${\mathrm{LaFeO}}₃$ by doping Mo at the Fe sites. Based on magnetic, transport, scanning tunneling spectroscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements, we find that the large gap, charge-transfer, antiferromagnetic (AFM) insulator ${\mathrm{LaFeO}}₃$ becomes a small gap AFM band insulator at low Mo doping. With increasing doping concentration, Mo states, which appear around the Fermi level, is broadened and become gapless at a critical doping of 20%. Using a combination of calculations based on density functional theory plus Hubbard $U$ (DFT+U) and x-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements, we find that the system shows charge disproportionation (CD) in Fe ions at 25% Mo doping, where two distinct Fe sites, having ${\mathrm{Fe}}²⁺$ and ${\mathrm{Fe}}³⁺$ nominal charge states appear. A local breathing-type lattice distortion induces the charge disproportionation at the Fe site without destroying the antiferromagnetic order. Our combined experimental and theoretical investigations establish that the Fe states form a CD antiferromagnet at 25% Mo doping, which remains insulating, while the appearance of Mo states around the Fermi level is showing an indication towards the insulator-metal transition.