Magnetism and electrical transport in Y-doped layered iridate Sr2IrO4

•Structural, magnetic and transport properties are studied in Y-doped layered Sr2IrO4.•Y-doping acts for electron doping without altering other vital interactions.•Low temperature magnetic and electronic state is minimally influenced with doping.•An exotic interplay between spin-orbit coupling and electron correlation is observed.•Iridium magnetism in non-cubic distorted lattice has been studied. Here, we report an investigation of structural, magnetic and electronic properties in Y-doped layered iridate (Sr1-xYx)2IrO4 (x⩽0.1). The parent Sr2IrO4 is a well-studied spin-orbit coupling (SOC) induced insulator with an antiferromagnetic ground state. The Y-doping here equivalently acts for electron doping without altering the vital parameters such as, SOC and electron correlation. Experimental results show a minute change in structural parameters and an equivalent charge conversion from Ir4+ to Ir3+. Unlike similarly other electron-doped system, the low temperature magnetic and electronic state in present series is minimally influenced. The charge conduction mechanism follows 2-dimensional hopping model in whole series. Magnetoresistance (MR) data show an interesting sign change with both temperature and magnetic field. The positive MR both at low temperature follows weak antilocalization behavior where the sign change in MR is believed to be caused by an interplay between SOC and magnetic moment.