Spin-dependent electron transport in manganite bicrystal junctions

Magnetic bicrystal films and junctions of magnetic La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ (LSMO) and La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ (LCMO) films epitaxially grown on NdGaO₃ substrates with the (110) planes of their two parts misoriented (tilted) at angles of 12°, 22°, 28°, and 38° are investigated. For comparison, bicrystal boundaries with a 90° misorientation of the axes of the NdGaO₃ (110) planes were fabricated. The directions of the axes and the magnetic anisotropy constants of the films on both sides of the boundary are determined by two independent techniques of magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The magnetic misorientation of the axes in the substrate plane has been found to be much smaller than the crystallographic misorientation for tilted bicrystal boundaries, while the crystallographic and magnetic misorientation angles coincide for boundaries with rotation of the axes. An increase in the magnetoresistance and characteristic resistance of bicrystal junctions with increasing misorientation angle was observed experimentally. The magnetoresistance of bicrystal junctions has been calculated by taking into account the uniaxial anisotropy, which has allowed the contributions from the tunneling and anisotropic magnetoresistances to be separated. The largest tunneling magnetoresistance was observed on LCMO bicrystal junctions, in which the characteristic resistance of the boundary is higher than that in LSMO boundaries.     

Structure and magnetoresistance of La<Subscript>0.67</Subscript>Ca<Subscript>0.33</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> films grown coherently on (001)NdGaO<Subscript>3</Subscript>

40-to 120-nm-thick (001)La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ films grown through laser evaporation on (001)NdGaO₃ were studied. The lattice parameters of the La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ films measured in the substrate plane (a_∥=3.851 Å) and along the normal to its surface (a_⊥=3.850 Å) practically coincided with that of the pseudocubic neodymium gallate. The unit-cell volume of the La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ film was slightly smaller than that of stoichiometric bulk samples. The position of the maximum in the temperature dependence of electrical resistivity did not depend on the thickness of the La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ film. The negative magnetoresistance (MR≈?0.25, H=0.4 T) of La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ films reached a maximum at 239–244 K.     

Electron transport in manganite bicrystal junctions

The transport and magnetic properties of junctions created in La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ thin films epitaxially grown on substrates with a bicrystal boundary have been investigated. In tilted neodymium gallate bicrystal substrates, the NdGaO₃(110) planes are inclined at angles of 12° and 38°. The temperature dependences of the electrical resistance, magnetoresistance, and differential conductance of the junctions at different voltages have been measured and analyzed. It has been found that the magnetoresistance and electrical resistance of the junction significantly increase with an increase in the misorientation angle, even though the misorientation of the easy magnetization axes remains nearly unchanged. The ratio of the spin-dependent and spin-independent contributions to the conductance of the bicrystal junction increases by almost an order of magnitude with an increase in the misorientation angle from 12° to 38°. The magnetoresistance of the junction increases with decreasing temperature, which is most likely associated with an increase of the magnetic polarization of the electrons. It has been shown that, at low (liquid-helium) temperatures, the conductance depends on the voltage V according to the law V ^1/2, which indicates the dominant contribution from the electron-electron interaction to the electrical resistance of the junction. An increase in the temperature leads to a decrease in this contribution and an increase in the contribution proportional to V ^3/2, which is characteristic of the mechanism involving inelastic spin scattering by surface antiferromagnetic magnons.     

Magnetoresistance of La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 films the coherent growth of which is disturbed by mechanical stress relaxation

Because of a large (m = 1.8%) lattice mismatch between La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ and LaAlO₃, manganite films grown on a lanthanum aluminate substrate experience biaxial mechanical compression stresses. Strong adhesion to the substrate causes a substantial tetragonal distortion (γ ≈ 1.04) of the unit cell in a 20-nm-thick layer of the manganite film coherently grown on (001)LaAlO₃, while in the remaining part (≈75%) of the manganite film, stresses partially relax. The stress relaxation decreases γ and increases the effective volume of the unit cell of the La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ film. The relaxed part of the La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ film consists of crystallites 50–200 nm across azimuthally misoriented by approximately 0.3°. The temperature dependences of the resistivity and negative magnetoresistance of the manganite films exhibit maxima at 240 and 215 K, respectively. At temperatures below 50 K, the dependence of the resistivity on the magnetic induction taken with the induction varying from 0 to 14 T and vice versa becomes hysteresis.     

Magnetoresistance and transport properties of different impurity doped La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 composite

An enhanced magnetoresistance and a two-fold effect result from impurity dopant were observed in composites of La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃/YSZ and La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃/Fe₃O₄. Where YSZ represents yttria-stabilized zirconia and the doping level of both YSZ and Fe₃O₄ is 1 mol%. Different electrical and magnetic transport properties, in particular a lower field magnetization behavior, were observed between pure La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ and the impurity doped La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ composites. Compared with pure La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃, a possible interpretation is presented by considering the influences of YSZ and Fe₃O₄ on the structure of grain boundaries and/or surfaces of La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃grains.     

Electrical resistivity and magnetotransport in La<Subscript>0.67</Subscript>Ba<Subscript>0.33</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> films asymmetrically biaxially compressed by an NdGaO<Subscript>3</Subscript>(001) substrate

The La_0.67Ba_0.33MnO₃(40 nm) films are quasi-coherently grown on an NdGaO₃(001) substrate with an orthorhombic unit cell distortion of ～1.4%. The biaxial compressive stresses generated during nucleation and growth lead to a decrease in the unit cell volume of the grown layers. This, in turn, results in a decrease (by ～35 K) in the temperature of the maximum in the dependence of the electrical resistivity ρ of the layers on the temperature. For T < 150 K, the electrical resistivity ρ of the films increases in proportion to ρ₂ T ^4.5 and the coefficient ρ₂ decreases almost linearly with increasing magnetic field H. The negative magnetoresistance (≈?0.17 for μ₀ H = 1 T) reaches a maximum at temperatures close to room temperature. The response of the electrical resistivity ρ of the La_0.67Ba_0.33MnO₃(40 nm) films to the magnetic field depends on the crystallographic direction of the film orientation and the angle between H and I (where I is the electric current through the film).     

Response of the electrical resistivity and magnetoresistance of La<Subscript>0.67</Subscript>Ca<Subscript>0.33</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> epitaxial films to biaxial compressive mechanical (001) or (110) strains

The behavior of the electrical resistivity and magnetoresistance of 40-to 120-nm-thick La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ films grown on differently oriented lanthanum aluminate substrates was studied. The cell volume in thin (40 nm) La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ films grown coherently on (001)LaAlO₃ was found to be substantially smaller. Mechanical stress relaxation in biaxially strained La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ films is accompanied by an increase in the cell volume. The temperatures at which the electrical resistivity and magnetoresistance in biaxially strained La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ films were maximum can differ by 60–70 K from those observed in bulk single crystals.     

Magnetotransport parameters of La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 films grown on neodymium gallate substrates

Weakly mechanically stressed 40-nm-thick La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ films have been grown coherently on a (001)NdGaO₃ substrate by laser evaporation. The electrical resistivity ρ of the La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ film reaches a maximum at a temperature T _C ≈ 255 K. At temperatures below 0.6T _C, the temperature dependences of ρ are well approximated by the relation ρ = ρ_def + C ₁ T ² + C ₂ T ^4.5, in which the first term on the right-hand side accounts for the contribution of structural defects to electrical resistivity, and the second and third terms stand for those of the electron-electron and electron-magnon interactions, respectively. The parameters ρ_def ≈ 1 x 10^?4 Ω cm and C ₁ ≈ 7.7 × 10^?9 Ω cm K^?2 do not depend on temperature and magnetic field H. The coefficient C ₂ decreases with increasing H to reach about 4.9 × 10^?15 Ω cm K^?4.5 at μ₀ H = 14 T.     

Response of the electrical resistivity of La<Subscript>0.67</Subscript>Ba<Subscript>0.33</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript>(20 nm)/LaAlO<Subscript>3</Subscript>(001) films to magnetic field and variation in temperature

The structure, electrical resistivity, and magnetotransport parameters of 20-nm-thick epitaxial La_0.67Ba_0.33MnO₃ films grown by laser ablation on LaAlO₃(001) substrates are studied. The unit cell volume V _eff = 58.80 ų of the as-grown manganite films is found to be less than that for bulk La_0.67Ba_0.33MnO₃ crystals. Maximum values of the negative magnetoresistance MR(μ₀ H = 1 T) = ?0.27 for La_0.67Ba_0.33MnO₃ films are observed at a temperature of about 225 K. For 5 < T < 100 K, the film magnetoresistance depends only weakly on temperature and is on the order of ?0.1. At temperatures below 100 K and for 3 < μ₀ H < 5 T, the electrical resistivity of the as-grown films decreases linearly with increasing magnetic field.     

Prediction of thermomagnetic properties of La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 and La0.67Sr0.33MnO3

The dependence of magnetization on the variation of temperature for La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ and La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ perovskite-type ceramic materials under an external magnetic field was modelled. Application of phenomenological model was performed, showing a good agreement with the experimental data. Temperature dependence of change of both magnetic entropy and specific heat under magnetic field 0.05?T was predicted for La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ and La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃. Predicted values of maximum magnetic entropy change, full-width at half-maximum, relative cooling power and maximum specific heat under 0.05 T were evaluated.     

Study of magnetoresistance and conductance of bicrystal grain boundary in La0.67Ba0.33MnO3 thin film

La_0.67Ba_0.33MnO₃ (LBMO) thin film is deposited on a 36.7°C SrTiO₃ bicrystal substrate using laser ablation technique. A microbridge is created across bicrystal grain boundary and its characteristics are compared with a microbridge on the LBMO film having no grain boundary. Presence of grain boundary exhibits substantial magnetoresistance ratio (MRR) in the low field and low temperature region. Bicrystal grain boundary contribution in MRR disappears at temperature T>175 K. At low temperature, I-V characteristic of the microbridge across bicrystal grain boundary is nonlinear. Analysis of temperature dependence of dynamic conductance-voltage characteristics of the bicrystal grain boundary indicates that at low temperatures (T<175 K) carrier transport across the grain boundary in LBMO film is dominated by inelastic tunneling via pairs of manganese atoms and tunneling through disordered oxides. At higher temperatures (T>175 K), magnetic scattering process is dominating. Decrease of bicrystal grain boundary contribution in magnetoresistance with the increase in temperature is due to enhanced spin-flip scattering process.     

Transport parameters of granular La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 films grown on an R-plane sapphire

Precisely (100)-oriented, 200-nm thick La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ films have been grown by laser ablation on a sapphire (R-plane) substrate covered by a (100)SrTiO₃/(001)Bi₂SrNb₂O₉/(001)CeO₂ trilayer buffer. The azimuthal misorientation of crystal grains (50–300 nm) in the La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ films decreased by about 40% as the condensation temperature was increased ered from 760 to 810° C. The lattice parameter of the grown manganate films was reduced to 3.81–3.82 Å by enriching them with oxygen. The maximum in the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity of the La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ films grown was shifted toward lower temperatures by 20–50 K relative to its position for bulk ceramic samples of a stoichiometric composition. The largest magnetoresistance (MR=42% at H=0.4 T) was found in La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ films with a Mn⁴⁺ concentration on the order of 50% (T=166 K).     

Reactance of the n-Au/p-La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 film contact

The responses of the resistance and reactance of Au/(20 nm)La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ film heterostructures to temperature variation and magnetic field (f = 100 kHz) are investigated. At T = 300 K, the capacitance per unit area of the interface between a gold contact and the Au/(20 nm)La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ epitaxial film is found to be about 1 μF/cm². The maximum value of the negative magnetoreactance (≈60% at μ₀ H = 0.4 T) of the heterostructures is almost twice as high as the extremal value of the active magnetoresistance at T ≈ 235 K. The effective depth of magnetic field penetration into the manganite film on the side of the gold contact deposited on its surface is about 3 nm at room temperature.     

Metastable structure and properties of (La0.73Bi0.27)0.67Ca0.33MnO3

The electrical transport and magnetic properties of high Bi doped (La_0.73Bi_0.27)_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ are studied at the temperature and magnetic field ranges from 10 to 300 K and 0 to 3 T. Significant temperature and magnetic field hystereses are observed in both resistivity and magnetization measurements. Meanwhile, an enhanced magnetoresistance effect, within a wide temperature window, is obtained in the (La_0.73Bi_0.27)_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃. The hysteresis and enhanced magnetoresistance are discussed based on an inhomogeneous metastable structure related to the Bi dopant.     

Magnetic field dependence of conductance and conduction noise of an artificial grain boundary junction in a La0.67Ba0.33MnO3 epitaxial thin film

A single artificial grain boundary in La_0.67Ba_0.33MnO₃ (LBMO) thin film has been prepared by depositing the film on a bicrystal substrate using laser ablation technique. We investigated the magnetic field dependence of magnetoresistance and conductance-voltage characteristics of the grain boundary at 77 K. A decrease of nonlinearity of current-voltage characteristics was observed upon application of magnetic field. The results are explained by assuming the presence of two different types of parallel conducting channels (metallic and highly resistive) across the grain boundary. The analysis of the results reveals that the application of magnetic field suppresses magnetic disorders at the grain boundary region and increases metallic conduction channels across the grain boundary. The temperature dependence of the conduction noise of the bicrystal grain boundary was measured at 0 and 1.5 kG magnetic field and compared with a microbridge on the LBMO film having no grain boundary. The presence of the grain boundary was found to enhance noise by one order of magnitude. The noise of a bicrystal grain boundary showed a decrease in the presence of 1.5 kG magnetic field for T<210 K. This decrease of noise confirms that the application of a magnetic field induces more metallic channels across the grain boundary.     

LaCaMnO/LaNdCaMnO/LaCaMnO三层膜中巨磁电阻增强效应

通过直流磁控溅射方法在SrTiO₃(001)衬底上制备了一系列La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃/(La_0.35Nd_0.65)_2/3Ca_1/3MnO₃/La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃(以下简写为LCMO/LNCMO/LCMO)外延三层膜，其中间层 关键词：     

Electrical resistivity and magnetoresistance of nonuniformly mechanically strained films (30 nm) of the La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 manganite

The structure, electrical resistivity, and magnetoresistance of predominantly oriented La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃(30 nm)/LaAlO₃ films are investigated after partial relaxation of biaxial mechanical stresses. The negative magnetoresistance MR of the films reaches a maximum at T = 235–240 K. The full width at half-maximum of the peak in the curve MR(T) for a film is five to six times greater than that for a manganite layer grown on a substrate with a small lattice mismatch. For T < 150 K, the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity ρ of the films is fitted well by the relationship ρ = ρ₀ + ρ₁ (H)T ^4.5, where ρ₀ ≡ ρ(T = 4.2 K) and ρ₁(H) is a parameter that is independent of temperature but dependent on the magnetic field H. The parameter ρ₁(H = 0) for the La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃(30 nm)/LaAlO₃ films is several times larger than that for thin manganite layers only weakly strained by the substrate. The electrical resistivity ρ₁ decreases almost linear as the quantity μ₀ H increases in the field range 1–5 T.     

Ti/Pr0.7Ca0.3MnO3/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3/Pt异质结电致电阻效应的改善

采用脉冲激光沉积技术制备了Ti/Pr_0.7Ca_0.3MnO₃/Pt和Ti/Pr_0.7Ca_0.3MnO₃/La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃/Pt异质结并研究了La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃功能插层对异质结电致电阻特性的影响. 实验结果表明La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃功能层的引入有效提高了器件的电阻转变特性,尤其是电阻转变率和疲劳性得到了极大的改善. 对La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃插层改善电致电阻转变特性的机理进行了定性的分析. 关键词： 电致电阻效应 电阻转变比率 疲劳特性     

Dynamic phase separation as revealed by the strong resistance relaxation in epitaxially shear-strained La0.67Ca0.33MnO3/NdGaO3(0 0 1) thin-films

Strong phase competitions between the ferromagnetic metal and the charge-ordered-insulator have been induced in a wide temperature range of 10-256 K for the shear-strained La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃/NdGaO₃(0 0 1) films. Based on various magnetotransport measurements, the mobility of phase boundaries was inferred to change dramatically with temperature. In the high temperature range where the phase boundaries are movable, strong relaxation in resistivity was observed, while at the frozen temperatures lower than 40 K it is weakened. The resistivities tend to relax in accordance with the phase transitions driven by the temperature or magnetic field in the phase separation (PS) background. Moreover, to our surprise, while the melting fields of the insulating phase varied with film thicknesses, for a given film however, they stay unchanged when started with different phase fractions produced by the field or thermal cycling. The results show a crucial role of the inherent strain state in determining PS and phase competitions in these epitaxial thin films.     

Magnetoresistance of La<Subscript>0.67</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>0.33</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> epitaxial films grown on a substrate with low lattice mismatch

The structure, electrical resistivity, and magnetoresistance of La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ heteroepitaxial films (120-nm thick) practically unstrained by lattice mismatch with the substrate were studied. A strong maximum of negative magnetoresistance of ≈27% (for μ₀H = 4 T) was observed at T ≈360 K. While the magnetoresistance decreased monotonically in magnitude with decreasing temperature, it was still in excess of 2% at 150 K. For T < 250 K, the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity ρ of La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ films is fitted well by the relation ρ = ρ₀ + ρ ₁(H)T^2.3, where ρ₀ = 1.1×10^?4 Ω cm, ρ₁(H = 0) = 1.8×10^?9 Ω cm/K^2.3, and ρ₁(μ₀H = 4 T)/ρ₁(H = 0) ≈0.96. The temperature dependence of a parameter γ characterizing the extent to which the electrical resistivity of the ferromagnetic phase of La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ films is suppressed by a magnetic field (μ ₀H = 5 T) was determined.