Linear temperature dependence of electron spin resonance linewidths in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 and YBaMn2O6

Abstract

We analyze recent electron spin resonance (ESR) experiments in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 and YBaMn2O6 focusing on the behavior of the linewidth at high temperatures where it is a linear function of the temperature. Noting that the g-factors of the resonances are characteristic of the Mn4+ ion in a cubic environment, we make the assumption that the linewidth involves the static susceptibility of the Mn4+ spins which we analyze in the molecular field approximation. We conclude that the linear dependence on temperature is associated with the susceptibility having a Curie or Curie-Weiss form while the temperature-dependent relaxation mechanism has a microscopic rate proportional to the temperature. In La0.7Ca0.3MnO3, the Mn4+ susceptibility has the ferromagnetic Curie-Weiss form, and the static contribution to the linewidth arising from distortions of the oxygen octahedra is absent due to motional narrowing brought on by the rapid hopping of the eg polarons. In YBaMn2O6 either of two scenarios is possible. The Mn4+ susceptibility above 520 K is Curie-like and the static term is present, or the susceptibility has the antiferromagnetic Curie-Weiss form and the static term is absent due to motional narrowing. It is concluded that the Curie model, with offsetting double exchange and and superexchange Curie-Weiss parameters, is the more likely scenario. It is suggested that the linear-T variation of the linewidth in both materials arises from either a Korringa-like mechanism involving interactions with mobile carriers or from a spin-phonon process coming from interactions between the Mn4+ ions and the lattice vibrations.