Role of Sm3+dopant in the formation of La(1-x)SmxCrO3 solid state nanoperovskites - Correlation of its augmented physical properties

Solid state rare earth nanoperovskites La(1-x)SmxCrO3 (x = 0 and 0.1) have been synthesized through ball milling method. Powder X-ray diffractogram confirms the effect of Sm3+ magnetic dopant in the formation of polycrystalline, single phase, orthorhombic LaCrO3 with reduced crystallite size. Enhanced antiferromagnetic nature with decrease in the magnetic ordering temperature (T-N) has been analyzed using isothermal and field cooling magnetization studies in the temperature range of T = 300 K-5 K. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy determines a quantitative analysis of the oxidation states and the corresponding physicochemical interactions of the cations. It also substantiates the observed distortions incurred as an effect of samarium dopants onto the crystal lattice structure. Temperature dependent dielectric analysis for the rare earth orthochromites exhibits negligible dielectric loss, improved dielectric constant and decreased resistance for doped system. The magnitude of resistivity reduces due to the charge localization with the semiconductor to insulator transition temperature at T-SI = 11 K. The observed enhancement in La(1-x)SmxCrO3 physical properties is mainly ascribed to the coupling of magnetic moments and CrO6 octahedral distortion induced polarization upon occupancy of relatively smaller ionic radii rare earth atoms in the orthorhombic crystal structure.