Abstract
In the present work we have studied the effect of 190 MeV Ag ion irradiation on the structural, electrical, and magnetic properties of LaFe(1-x)Ni(x)O(3) (x = 0.3 and 0.4) thin films. The films were grown on LaAlO(3) < 001 > oriented substrates using pulsed laser deposition technique. The pristine and irradiated samples were investigated using x-ray diffraction, temperature dependent resistivity, and magnetic measurements. The x-ray diffraction patterns of the irradiated films show that the lattice of the composition strain relaxed with enhanced c-axis orientation. The temperature dependence of the resistivity indicates that all the films (pristine and irradiated) exhibit semiconducting behavior for entire studied temperature range (80-300 K). The pristine and irradiated samples show the activated variable range hopping behavior throughout the studied temperature range. The magnetization hysteresis measurements show ferromagnetic behavior at 300 K for all samples. The results are explained on the basis of the close interplay between the electrical and the magnetic properties. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3400036]