Role of Pr cations and the low temperature transition in Pr0.50Sr0.50CoO3: A comparison to Pr0.50Ca0.50CoO3

The low temperature properties of Pr0.50Sr0.50CoO3 are studied in comparison to Pr0.50Ca0.50CoO3, which is known to exhibit a Pr3+/Pr4+ valence shift below TMI~80 K. The evolution of the Pr–O network strongly differs in the Sr and Ca compounds, but both have in common a prominent and sudden contraction of some Pr–O bonds. The structural phase transition that accompanies the so-called magnetocrystalline anisotropy transition at TS~120 K in Pr0.50Sr0.50CoO3 brings about a notable contraction of some Pr–O2 bonds. The observations give support to the active participation of Pr-4f electrons at the intriguing magnetostructural transition (TS) in Pr0.50Sr0.50CoO3. In addition, we have confirmed that (in absence of praseodymium) the magnetostructural transition is suppressed in (Nd2/3La1/3)0.50Sr0.50CoO3, a perovskite with the same average cationic size at the A-site than Pr0.50Sr0.50CoO3.