Low field magnetoresistance and conduction noise in layered manganite La1.4Ca1.6Mn2O7

Temperature dependence of conduction noise and low field magnetoresistance of layered manganite La1.4Ca1.6Mn2O7 (DLCMO) are reported and compared with the infinite layered manganite La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 (LCMO). The double layered manganite was prepared using standard solid state reaction method and had a metal-insulator transition temperature (TM-1) of 155 K. The temperature dependence of susceptibility showed evolution of ferromagnetic ordering at 168 K. The observed voltage noise spectral density (S-V) shows 1/f(alpha) type of behaviour at all temperatures from 77 K to 300 K. In the ferromagnetic region (T < 168 K). S-V/V-2 shows two peaks at 164 K and 114 K. The observed two peaks in normalised conduction noise of DLCMO is attributed to the excess noise generated due to setting up of short range 2D-ferromagnetic ordering and long range 3D-ferromagnetic ordering at two different temperatures T-C2 and T-C1. In temperature range between T-C1 and T-C2,T- the magnetoresistance (MR) showed a gradual increase with the magnetic field. The observed MR has been explained in the framework of the two phase model [ferromagnetic (FM) domains and paramagnetic (PM) regions]. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.