Influence of BaTiO3 on Magnetic and Transport Properties of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3-BaTiO3 Nanocomposite

La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO)-BaTiO3 (BTO) nanocomposites have been synthesized by adding different amounts of BTO using the sol-gel method. The structural analysis confirms that both phases coexist in the composite samples with the rhombohedral and tetragonal structure for LSMO and BTO, respectively. The magnetization measurement shows a decrease in magnetization with the increase in BTO concentration and a signature of the spin glass-like characteristics of the nanocomposite. The dielectric behavior indicates the existence of the magneto-electric coupling between LSMO and BTO phase. The measurement of transport properties shows that resistivity increases with BTO concentration and metal-insulator (M-I) transition temperature shifts towards lower temperature. The low-temperature (T <50 K) resistivity behavior of the samples is analyzed by using the Kondo-like transport model. The results show the spin-disordered scattering increases with the increase in the amount of BTO in LSMO phase. The low-field magnetoresistance (LFMR) of the nanocomposite is improved as compared to the pure LSMO. The highest value of LFMR achieved for LSMO-BTO composite at 10 K is 35.5% with a 1 T magnetic field.