Lattice, Magnetism, and Transport in SrRuO3 Co-doped with La and Mn

Here, equal numbers of La and Mn ions are successfully introduced simultaneously in SrRuO3. With increasing La/Mn doping, all compositions crystallize in Pnma with the lattice constant, together with the RuO₆ octahedral distortion, decreases. Ferromagnetism-to-spin glass magnetic behavior is observed at x ≥ 0.23. A metal–insulator transition (MIT) occurs at lower temperatures, resulting from the disordering of the metal mixture in the lattice. The retraction of the RuO₆ octahedron increases the overlap of the Ru t_2g–O 2p orbitals and broadens the Ru 4d bandwidth, leading to weaker electron–electron interactions, which may decrease the electronic and thermal conductivity.