Discussion again of the magnetic and transport property of Ag-doped LaMnO3

Samples La1−aAgaMnO3 (0.05⩽a⩽0.50) were sol–gel fabricated. A part of Ag was found to dissociate and run off the samples in sintering process when sintering temperature exceeds 700 °C, resulting in a composite of La1−xAgxMnO3 and MnO2/Mn2O3. The magnetic and transport properties of the composite have been studied. The sample with the nominal composition La0.7Ag0.3MnO3 was found to show the greatest magnetoresistance in the sample group. Detailed analysis on average Mn valence reveals a composite of (La0.985Ag0.015MnO3)0.776[(MnO2)0.590(Mn2O3)0.410]0.224. Its MR ratio at room temperature exceeds 24% under a field of 1.8 T. A conductivity leap has been observed around a=0.30. It suggests a kind of field-induced fluctuation in percolation in the samples investigated.