Colossal thermoelectric power in charge ordered lanthanum calcium manganites (La0.5Ca0.5MnO3)

Lanthanum calcium manganites (La0.5Ca0.5MnO3) with a composition close to charge ordering, synthesized by high energy ball milling, was found to exhibit colossal thermoelectric power. Thermoelectric power (TEP) data was systematically analyzed by dividing the entire temperature range (5 K–300 K) into three different regimes to explore different scattering mechanisms involved. Mandal's model has been applied to explain TEP data in the region below the Curie temperature (TC). It has been found that the variation of thermoelectric power with temperature is pronounced when the system enters the charge ordered region at T < 200 K. For temperatures lower than 120 K, due to the co-existence of charge ordered state with a spin-glass state, the variation of thermoelectric power is maximum and exhibited a peak value of −80 mV/K at 58 K. This has been explained by incorporating Kondo properties of the spin-glass along with magnon scattering. FC-ZFC magnetization measurements indicate the existence of a glassy state in the region corresponding to a maximum value of thermoelectric power. Phonon drag contribution instead of spin-glass contribution is taken into account to explain TEP in the region 120 K < T < TC. Mott's polaronic contribution of charge carriers are considered to interpret TEP in the high temperature region (T > TC). The optimal Mn4+-Mn3+ concentration in charge ordered La0.5Ca0.5MnO3 was examined by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy analysis which confirms the charge ordered nature of this compound.