Colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) composites form an interesting field of study. The intrinsic CMR, governed by the intragrain transport of the conduction electrons through the double exchange, limits its application owing to the high field requirement and generally low transition temperatures. Extrinsic CMR, a function of the intergrain transport between ferromagnetic (FM) particles, plays a crucial role in enhancing low field magnetoresistance (LFMR) or increasing room temperature magnetoresistance. Since extrinsic CMR is a grain boundary controlled phenomena, magnetically dirty grain boundaries in the virgin state of the sample help in achieving a high LFMR or increase the field sensitivity. In this article, we give the properties of different composites of magnetoresistive LCMO or LSMO where the second component is (a) an insulating phase, (b) a conducting phase, (c) a nonmagnetic phase and (d) a magnetic phase. We present here some of our recent work on CMR composites where the CMR phase is chosen as LCMO and SiO₂, ZnO, ZrO₂ and SiCN have been used as the different second phase of the composites. We summarise some of the salient features of the results.

Single-domain barium ferrite nano particles have been synthesized with narrow particle-size distribution using an auto combustion technique. In this process, citric acid was used as a fuel. Ratios of cation to fuel were maintained variously at 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3. The pH was 7 in all cases. Of all three cases, a cation to citric acid ratio of 1:2 gives better yield in the formation of crystalline and single domain particles with a narrow range of size distribution. Most particles are in the range of 80 to 100 nm. Maximum magnetization and coercivity values are also greater for 1:2 ratios. These values measured at room temperature are found to be 55 emu/gram and 5000 Oe respectively. XPS and ESR studies support the results.