Lanthanum strontium manganite

Lanthanum strontium manganite (LSM or LSMO) is an oxide ceramic material with the general formula La_1−xSr_xMnO₃, where x describes the doping level and for some applications it is in the range of 10-20%.

It has a perovskite-based crystal structure, which has the general form ABO₃. In the crystal, the 'A' sites are occupied by lanthanum and strontium atoms, and the 'B' sites are occupied by the smaller manganese atoms. In other words, the material consists of lanthanum manganite with some of the lanthanum atoms substitutionally doped with strontium atoms. The strontium (valence 2+) doping on lanthanum (valence 3+) introduces extra holes in the valence band and thus increases electronic conductivity.

LSMO has a rich electronic phase diagram, including a doping-dependent metal-insulator transition, paramagnetism and ferromagnetism. The existence of a Griffith phase has been reported as well.

LSM is black in color and has a density of approximately 6.5 g/cm³. The actual density will vary depending on the processing method and actual stoichiometry. LSM is primarily an electronic conductor, with transference number close to 1.

This material is commonly used in as a cathode material in commercially produced solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) because it has a high electrical conductivity at higher temperatures, and its thermal expansion coefficient is well matched with yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), a common material for SOFC electrolytes.

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