Magnetic phase transition and critical behavior of La0.7Ca0.3 MnO ₃ -doped titanium compound

Perovskite manganites have attracted considerable attention due to their remarkable magnetic and magnetoresistive properties, which are highly sensitive to chemical substitution and external parameters. Understanding the magnetic phase transition order and critical behavior in these materials is crucial for optimizing their functional properties and exploring fundamental magnetic interactions. In this study, we investigated the magnetic phase transition and critical behavior of the Ti-doped La[Formula: see text]Ca[Formula: see text]MnO 3 compound. A polycrystalline sample of La[Formula: see text]Ca[Formula: see text] Mn[Formula: see text]Ti[Formula: see text]O 3 was synthesized using the conventional solid-state reaction method. Isothermal magnetization measurements were performed using a vibrating sample magnetometer with applied magnetic fields ranging from 0 to 1 T at various temperatures around the Curie temperature. The critical behavior at the ferromagnetic-to-paramagnetic phase transition was analyzed using the modified Arrott plot, Kouvel–Fisher method, and critical isothermal analysis. The Banerjee criterion revealed that the magnetic transition in La[Formula: see text]Ca[Formula: see text]Mn[Formula: see text]Ti[Formula: see text]O 3 is second-order, contrasting with the first-order transition observed in the parent compound La[Formula: see text]Ca[Formula: see text]MnO 3 . The critical exponents were determined as [Formula: see text] (Curie temperature)[Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]129.66[Formula: see text]K, [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text]. The [Formula: see text] value is consistent with mean-field theory predictions ([Formula: see text]), while [Formula: see text] approaches the three-dimensional Heisenberg model ([Formula: see text]). Scaling analysis of the magnetization data confirmed two distinct universal curves around [Formula: see text], validating the reliability of the obtained critical parameters. These findings demonstrate that Ti doping fundamentally alters the magnetic phase transition from first-order to second-order, attributed to weakened double-exchange interactions and induced local lattice distortions.