  The magnetization, resistivity and magnetoresistance (MR) of single crystals
of GdBaCo2O5.5 and EuBaCo2O5.5 are measured over a wide range of dc magnetic
fields (up to 30 T) and temperature. In LnBaCo2O5.5 (Ln=Gd, Eu), the Co-ions
are trivalent and can exist in three spin states, namely, the S=0 low spin
state (LS), the S= 1 intermediate spin state (IS) and the S=2 high spin state
(HS). We confirm that GdBaCo2O5.5 and EuBaCo2O5.5 have a metal-insulator
transition accompanied by a spin-state transition at TMI >> 365 and 335 K,
respectively. The data suggest an equal ratio of LS (S=0) and IS (S=1) Co3+
ions below TMI, with no indication of additional spin state transitions. The
low field magnetization shows a transition to a highly anisotropic
ferromagnetic phase at 270 K, followed by another magnetic transition to an
antiferromagnetic phase at a slightly lower temperature. The magnetization data
are suggestive of weak correlations between the Gd-spins but no clear signature
of ordering is seen for T > 2 K. Significant anisotropy between the a-b plane
and c axis was observed in magnetic and magnetotransport properties for both
compounds. For GdBaCo2O5.5, the resistivity and MR data imply a strong
correlation between the spin-order and charge carriers. For EuBaCo2O5.5, the
magnetic phase diagram is very similar to its Gd counterpart, but the low-T MR
with current flow in the ab plane is positive rather than negative as for Gd.
The magnitude and the hysteresis of the MR for EuBaCo2O5.5 decrease with
increasing temperature, and at higher T the MR changes sign and becomes
negative. The difference in the behavior of both compounds may arise from a
small valence admixture in the nonmagnetic Eu ions, i.e. a valence slightly
less than 3+.

Strongly Correlated Electrons