Structural first-order transformation in La2/3Ba1/3MnO3: ESR study

We have studied by the electron-spin resonance (ESR) and static magnetic field techniques, the La_2/3Ba_1/3MnO₃ perovskite, which was previously shown to exhibit a martensitic phase transformation in the vicinity of T_s∼200 K [Physical Review B 68, 054109 (2003)], leading to its structural phase-segregated state. Resonant absorptions reveal that in the temperature interval from 100 K to 340 K the compound represents a mixture of two ferromagnetic phases possessing different magnetizations, in varying proportions depending on the temperature, and a small amount of a paramagnetic phase. The results agree well with the previous neutron diffraction study. Applied in the ESR experiments, magnetic fields (2–6 kOe) strongly affect the magnetization curves: even magnetic field as high as 700 Oe modifies the anomaly in the phase transformation region and removes the difference between the zero-field cooled and field-cooled magnetization curves, which implies that the difference in the magnetic susceptibility of the coexisting phases is small and the magnetic domain configuration can be easily changed.     

相分离Nd0.5Ca0.5MnO3体系的再入型自旋玻璃行为和电荷有序

研究了Nd_0.5Ca_0.5MnO₃体系的结构和输运特性. 结构 分析表明，在300K下，体系表现为O′型正交结构并存在典型的Jahn-Teller畸变.在8 T磁场 下，体系出现顺磁绝缘-铁磁金属的转变，庞磁电阻效应发生. 磁测量发现，样品的奈尔温 度T_N和电荷有序转变温度T_CO分别在150和240K左右，在41K左右出 现典型再入型自旋玻璃行为，同时观察到了负的磁化率异常. 结果表明，Nd关键词： 庞磁电阻 自旋玻璃态 负磁化强度 电荷有序     

Correlation between magnetic and transport properties of phase-separated La0.5Ca0.5MnO3

The effect of low-magnetic fields on the magnetic and electrical transport properties of polycrystalline samples of the phase-separated compound La_0.5Ca_0.5MnO₃ is studied. The results are interpreted in the framework of the field-induced ferromagnetic fraction enlargement mechanism. A fraction expansion coefficient _f, which relates the ferromagnetic fraction f with the applied field H, was obtained. A phenomenological model to understand the enlargement mechanism is worked out.     

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.     

Dynamical effects in magnetic and transport properties of phase separated La0.5Ca0.5Mn0.95Fe0.05O3

We have measured transport and magnetic properties of polycrystalline La_0.5Ca_0.5Mn_0.95Fe_0.05O₃, a phase separated manganite with ferromagnetic ground state. Cooling rate dependences and time relaxation were found; the coexistence of ferromagnetic and charge ordered regions determines a dynamics which influences physical properties. We show that a dynamical contribution to the resistivity can account for the observed cooling rate dependence and ageing effects on this phase separated manganite.     

Anomalous aging and strain induced time dependent phenomena in ultra-thin La0.65Ca0.35MnO3 films

We have shown that ultra-thin La_0.65Ca_0.35MnO₃ films exhibit strong metastable behavior. The resistance can vary with time significantly, suggesting that a state of dynamic phase separation exists whereby one phase grows at the expense of another. Physical properties associated with the metastable behavior have been investigated on the films grown on different substrates. We have found that ultra-thin films age much faster than the thicker counterparts and more interestingly the metastability in the resistance of these films enhanced when aged.     

Reentrant spin glass behaviour in Nd0.84K0.12MnO3

Polycrystalline Nd_0.84K_0.12MnO₃ was prepared in single phase form with Pbnm space group. The magnetic properties are studied from magnetization, linear and non-linear susceptibility, and thermoremanent magnetization measurements. The sample exhibits paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition followed by low temperature spin glass like transition. From frequency variation of ac susceptibility measurements, the spin glass transition temperature is found to be 97.6±0.1 K with critical exponents zυ=1.13±0.06. The critical exponent γ corresponding to spin glass transition has been determined from the third harmonic susceptibility analysis and it is found to be 3.09±0.05. The effective number of spins blocked under frustration and their correlation length are determined from the analysis of thermoremanent magnetization.     

Strain induced phase separation on La0.5Ca0.5MnO3 thin films

The effect of epitaxial strain on La_0.5Ca_0.5MnO₃ films of various thicknesses grown on SrTiO₃, SrLaAlO₄, and SrLaGaO₄ substrates is studied by Raman spectroscopy, magnetic, and resistivity measurements. The transport and magnetic properties as well as Raman spectra of the films are affected by epitaxial strains. The energy of the A_g(2) mode and the tilting angle of the MnO₆ octahedra is affected by the strain imposed by the substrate. In the spectra of the films deposited on the (1 0 0) SrTiO₃ substrate strong Jahn-Teller (JT) modes appear, which couple with charge-ordering. In all other films these modes are suppressed and no additional Raman lines are present at low temperatures contrary to the bulk compound. The low frequency continuum scattering decreases at low temperatures indicating a coupling with both the charge and orbital transitions. Comparison of the Raman spectra with the magneto-transport properties suggests an interpretation in terms of a strain induced phase separation between ferromagnetic metallic and antiferromagnetic insulating states.     

Silver addition in thick films of La2/3Ca1/3MnO3 perovskite

Thick films of La_2/3Ca_1/3MnO₃ with 10 wt% of silver are grown on single crystal SrTiO₃ by using the paint-on method. The electrical properties of the films are quite different compared to the pristine counterpart. The samples with silver addition exhibit a very low resistivity and the insulator to metal transition occurs at higher temperature (270 K) than the undoped samples. The resistance versus temperature dependence in these films is very sharp and the magnetoresistance ratio is restricted to a narrow temperature range, close to the electric transition for both cases. The improved properties of the thick films are associated with the improvement of the connectivity between the grains, although microstructural effects are not ruled out.     

Effect of Y-doping on the magnetic and charge orderings in Nd2/3Ca1/3MnO3

The shifts of the magnetic and charge ordering transition temperatures caused by Nd substitution for Y in Nd_2/3Ca_1/3MnO₃ CMR narrow-band perovskite manganite have been studied. At low temperatures, three different long-range magnetic orderings consistent with a phase separation scenario have been observed in the doped compound (Nd_0.9Y_0.1)_2/3Ca_1/3MnO₃ by neutron-diffraction study: the antiferromagnetic orderings of PCE and DE types existing below ∼110 and ∼60 K, respectively, and the ferromagnetic one of B type existing below ∼42. Magnetic phase transformations temperatures as well as those of charge ordering have been found to be structural-dependent. Y-doping leads to the decrease of the anisotropy of the orthorhombic Pnma crystal lattice b/√2c, which causes a decrease of the indirect exchange parameters in the system and thus a decrease in the magnetic transformation temperatures for 20-30 K in the doped compound. Doping leads as well to the higher level of the coherent Jahn-Teller distortions of the MnO₆ octahedra in the 200-300 K temperature region, which results in the increase of the charge ordering temperature for ∼80 K.     

Unusual magnetization suppression induced by higher magnetic field in (La0.83Bi0.17)0.67Ca0.33MnO3

Magnetization behavior of (La_0.83Bi_0.17)_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ has been investigated in the temperature range from 100 to 180 K. A metamagnetic transition was observed in the temperature region, where the magnetization was measured after a zero-field-cooling from room temperature to a selected temperature. Experimental results show that, after a higher magnetization route, the field-increasing branches of the magnetization curves shows an unusual training effect: below a magnetic field H₀, the applied magnetic field enhances the value of magnetization; however, above H₀ the magnetic field suppresses the value, and the behavior cannot be totally attributed to the enhancement effect of the applied magnetic field on ferromagnetic phase fraction. It is proposed that, in the two-phase coexistence region, the higher magnetic field promotes the phase separation and leads to both the fraction of ferromagnetic domain and the stabilization of antiferromagnetic domain increase.     

相分离La0.33Pr0.34Ca0.33MnO3薄膜体系中的交换偏置效应

在相分离La_0.33Pr_0.34Ca_0.33MnO₃薄膜体系中发现了大的交换偏置效应．在4 K时,交换偏置场的大小达到了约1 kOe．交换偏置效应可能源自薄膜内禀的电子相分离特性或薄膜的表面效应．交换偏置效应表现出强的温度、冷却磁场以及厚度依赖的关系．     

Asymmetrical phase separation in Nd0.25La0.25Ca0.5MnO3

The highly metastable region across the metal-insulator transition in Nd_0.25La_0.25Ca_0.5MnO₃ is probed by transport and magnetic measurements. The metal-insulator transition observed around 130 K is associated with large thermal hysteresis between temperatures 50-150 K. Observation of minor hysteresis loops across the region indicates coexistence of both metallic and insulating phases. The field-cooled heating and the zero-field-cooled heating susceptibilities deviate from each other from 205 K, signifying thermo-magnetic irreversibility arising from magnetic pinning and/or glassy magnetic behaviour. The magnetoresistance measured on the heating and cooling loops are found to be different in magnitude and nature. The cooling-cycle magnetoresistance was found to be highly irreversible with an open-ended hysteresis loop. We also observe change in the nature of the magnetic relaxation data on the heating and cooling protocols. This indicate strong thermal history dependence of magneto-transport behaviour in the present compound.     

Evidence of glassy ferromagnetic phase and kinetic arrest of electronic phase in Sm0.35Pr0.15Sr0.5MnO3 manganites

The effect of doping of rare earth Pr³⁺ ion as a replacement of Sm³⁺ in Sm_0.5Sr_0.5MnO₃ is investigated. Temperature dependent dc and ac magnetic susceptibility, resistivity, magnetoresistance measurements on chemically synthesized (Sm_0.5−xPr_x)Sr_0.5MnO₃ show various unusual features with doping level x=0.15. The frequency independent ferromagnetic to paramagnetic transition at higher temperature (∼191 K) followed by a frequency dependent reentrant magnetic transition at lower temperature (∼31 K) has been observed. The nature of this frequency dependent reentrant magnetic transition is described by a critical slowing down model of spin glasses. From non-linear ac susceptibility measurements it has been confirmed that the finite size ferromagnetic clusters are formed as a consequence of intrinsic phase separation, and undergo spin glass-like freezing below a certain temperature. There is an unusual observation of a 2nd harmonic peak in the non-linear ac susceptibility around this reentrant magnetic transition at low temperature (∼31 K). Arrott plots at 10 and 30 K confirm the existence of glassy ferromagnetism below this low temperature reentrant transition. Electronic- and magneto-transport measurements show a strong magnetic field—temperature history dependence and strong irreversibility with respect to the sweeping of magnetic field. These results are attributed to the effect of phase separation and kinetic arrest of the electronic phase in this phase separated manganite at low temperatures.     

Temperature-dependent photoluminescence in La2/3Ca1/3MnO3

Visible photoluminescence and its temperature dependence of La_2/3Ca_1/3MnO₃ in the temperature range 138-293 K were measured. It was observed that the main broad band centered at ∼1.77 eV with the shoulders at ∼1.57 and ∼1.90 eV existed in the entire temperature range. It can be well fitted by three Gaussian curves B₁, B₂ and B₃ centered at ∼1.52, ∼1.75 and ∼1.92 eV, respectively. The intensities of the peak B₁ and B₂ vary as temperature increases. In the entire temperature range, the intensity of B₁ increases with increasing temperature, whereas that of B₂ decreases. The photoluminescence mechanisms for La_2/3Ca_1/3MnO₃ are presented based on the electronic structures formed by the interactions among spin, charge and lattice, in which B₁ was identified with the charge transfer excitation of an electron from the lower Jahn-Teller split e_g level of a Mn³⁺ ion to the e_g level of an adjacent Mn⁴⁺ ion, B₂ is assigned to the transition between the spin up and spin down e_g bands separated by Hund's coupling energy E_J and B₃ is attributed to the transition, determined by the crystal field energy E_C, between a t_2g core electron of Mn³⁺ to the spin up e_g bands of Mn⁴⁺ by a dipole allowed charge transfer process.     

Electrical transport of (1−x)La0.7Ca0.3MnO3+xAl2O3 composites

We report the resistivity (ρ)-temperature (T) patterns in (1-x)La_0,7Ca_0,3MnO₃+xAl₂O₃ composites (0≤x≤0.05) over a temperature regime of 50-300 K. Al₂O₃ addition has increased the resistivity of these composites. The Curie temperature (T_C) is almost independent on the Al₂O₃ content and is about 250 K for all the samples, while the metal-insulator transition temperature (T_MI) decreases with increasing Al₂O₃ content. Based on the phenomenological equation for conductivity under a percolation approach, which is dependent on the phase segregation of ferromagnetic metallic clusters and paramagnetic insulating regions, we fitted the experimental data (ρ−T) from 50 to 300 K and find that the activation barrier increases as Al₂O₃ content increases.     

Suppression of charge ordering phenomenon in nanocrystalline Nd0.67Ca0.33MnO3 manganite

A systematic investigation of electrical, magnetic and elastic properties was undertaken in nano and microcrystalline Nd_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ manganite, mainly to understand the charge ordering phenomenon. There is a clear and distinct behaviour in the electrical and magnetic properties of nano and microcrystalline samples and the observed behaviour is explained.     

La0.67Ca0.33MnO3薄膜皮秒光电效应

在1064 nm波长脉冲激光（脉宽25 ps）的照射下，钙钛矿氧化物薄膜La0.67Ca0.33MnO3/SrTiO3具有超快光电效应，对激光脉冲显示ps量级的响应时间，上升沿响应时间300 ps，半高宽700 ps，同时，对激光能量的响应灵敏度为500 mV/mJ。     

La2/3Ca1/3MnO3/Eu2CuO4/La2/3Ca1/3MnO3磁性隧道结的制备与表征

采用磁控溅射，紫外线光刻和离子束刻蚀制备了La_2/3Ca_1/3MnO₃/Eu₂CuO₄/La_2/3Ca_1/3MnO₃磁性隧道结.通过对获得的磁性隧道结的I-V特性测量，发现非线性的I-V特性，显示结样品的隧穿特性.有趣的是发现在电极材料La_2/3Ca_1/3MnO₃的金属-绝缘体转变温度(Tp)以下，I-V曲线出现一个跳变.随着温度降低，开始出现跳变的临界电流增大，但是跳变都发生在同样的电压下～209mV.当电流增大或减小在跳变点附近出现回滞.这一跳变只发生在铁磁金属态，表明这是一个磁性相关联的效应，可能对应一种新的磁性开关过程.虽然，目前对这一现象背后的物理机理还不清楚，但是，这一现象有可能在未来自旋电子学器件方面具有潜在的应用价值. 关键词： 庞磁电阻 磁性隧道结 开关效应