Magnetic filaments in resistive manganites

The magnetic phase separation in single crystals of the Pr0.67Ca0.33MnO3 manganites is studied using polarized small angle neutron scattering. The measured spectra give a fractal dimension consistent with a configuration in ferromagnetic filaments of nanometric diameter. We argue here that localized charge carriers hop in a random walk fashion mediating a ferromagnetic "hopping exchange" which coexists with superexchange to create the filamentary phase separation. The arguments for this physical picture are validated by Monte Carlo simulations, where magnetism and transport are treated in a self-consistent manner.     

Ferromagnetic enhancement of CE-type spin ordering in (Pr,Ca)MnO3

We present resonant soft x-ray scattering results from small bandwidth manganites (Pr,Ca)MnO(3), which show that the CE-type spin ordering (SO) at the phase boundary is stabilized only below the canted antiferromagnetic transition temperature and enhanced by ferromagnetism in the macroscopically insulating state (FM-I). Our results reveal the fragility of the CE-type ordering that underpins the colossal magnetoresistance effect in this system, as well as an unexpected cooperative interplay between FM-I and CE-type SO which is in contrast to the competitive interplay between the ferromagnetic metallic state and CE-type ordering.     

Effect of charge ordering and disordering on terahertz radiation characteristics of magnetoresistive Pr0.7Ca0.3MnO3 thin films

Terahertz (THz) radiation from voltage-biased photoswitching devices made on magnetoresistive manganite Pr0.7Ca0.3MnO3 have been investigated for thin films grown under different conditions. We find that the temperature dependence of THz radiation near the charge-ordering temperature strongly depends on the growth condition of Pr0.7Ca0.3MnO3, whereas THz radiation shows no such temperature dependence near the spin-ordering temperature.     

Onset and melting of local orbital order

The onset and melting of locally staggered charge/orbital correlations is investigated within a two-orbital correlated electron model with inter-orbital and inter-site Coulomb interactions. The CE-type orbital correlation exhibits a sharp onset close to the Curie temperature and rapid thermal melting thereafter, which provides quantitative understanding of the (π/2,π/2,0) feature observed in neutron scattering experiments on La(0.7)(Ca(y)Sr(1-y))(0.3)MnO(3) single crystals. In the zig-zag AF state, the CE-type orbital correlations are found to be even more readily stabilized, but only within a narrow doping regime around x = 0.5.     

Tuning A-site ionic size in R(0.5)Ca(0.5)MnO3 (R = Pr, Nd and Sm): robust modulation in dc and ac transport behavior

Structural investigations on Pr(0.5)Ca(0.5)MnO(3), Nd(0.5)Ca(0.5)MnO(3) and Sm(0.5)Ca(0.5)MnO(3) display a systematic tuning in orthorhombic distortion which appears due to a change in A-site ionic size. Comprehensive investigations on dc conduction using various models indicate strong correlation with structural changes. Careful analysis of the ac conductivity mechanism as a function of frequency and temperature brings out a pronounced effect of structural modifications on the polaron conduction mechanism. Contrary to typical manifestations, dc conductivity and relaxation of charge carriers reveal non-Arrhenius behavior. This work provides a detailed and systematic addition to the phase diagram of electronic transport in the rare-earth manganite system doped with a divalent alkali atom.     

Nanoscale magnetic structure of ferromagnet/antiferromagnet manganite multilayers

We use polarized neutron reflectometry and dc magnetometry to obtain a comprehensive picture of the magnetic structure of a series of La(2/3)Sr(1/3)MnO3/Pr(2/3)Ca(1/3)MnO3 (LSMO/PCMO) superlattices, with varying thickness of the antiferromagnetic (AFM) PCMO layers (0相似文献   

Persistent photoinduced magnetization in the coexisting spin-glass and ferromagnetic phases of Pr?.?Ca?.?MnO? thin film

The persistent photoinduced magnetization (PPM) in the low bandwidth material Pr(1-x)Ca(x)MnO? at the low hole doping level of x = 0.1 is reported. Upon zero-field cooling under photoexcitation, significant improvement of the ferromagnetic (FM) ordering was observed in the low temperature spin-glass phase. However, upon field cooling, the FM ordering was found to be suppressed due to weakening of the double-exchange interaction. High kinetic energy x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements indicated a slight increase in the Mn3? peak under photoexcitation which clarifies the weakening of the FM interaction. The fast relaxation of the PPM is discussed in view of localization of spin polarons in sites of magnetic disorders and the results are compared with previous reports of PPM in intermediate bandwidth Pr?.?Ca?.?MnO? samples.     

Interface-related switching behaviors of amorphous Pr_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃-based memory cells

The resistive switching properties in amorphous Pr0.67Sr0.33MnO3 films deposited by pulsed laser deposition are investigated.Reproducible and bipolar counter-8-shape and 8-shape switching behaviours of Au/Pr0.67Sr0.33MnO3 /F:SnO2 junctions are obtained at room temperature.Dramatically,the coexistence of two switching polarities could be reversibly adjusted by an applied voltage range.The results allocated those two switching types to areas of different defect densities beneath the same electrode.The migration of oxygen vacancies and the trapping effect of electrons under an applied electric field play an important role.An interface-effect-related resistance switching is proposed in an amorphous Pr0.67Sr0.33MnO3-based memory cell.     

Coherent X-ray diffraction investigation of twinned microcrystals

Coherent X-ray diffraction has been used to study pseudo-merohedrally twinned manganite microcrystals. The analyzed compositions were Pr(5/8)Ca(3/8)MnO(3) and La(0.275)Pr(0.35)Ca(3/8)MnO(3). The prepared loose powder was thermally attached to glass (and quartz) capillary walls by gentle heating to ensure positional stability during data collection. Many diffraction data sets were recorded and some of them were split as expected from the main observed twin law: 180° rotation around [101]. The peak splitting was measured with very high precision owing to the high-resolution nature of the diffraction data, with a resolution (Δd/d) better than 2.0 × 10(-4). Furthermore, when these microcrystals are illuminated coherently, the different crystallographic phases of the structure factors induce interference in the form of a speckle pattern. The three-dimensional speckled Bragg peak intensity distribution has been measured providing information about the twin domains within the microcrystals. Research is ongoing to invert the measured patterns. Successful phase retrieval will allow mapping out the twin domains and twin boundaries which play a key role in the physical properties.     

Dynamic Kerr effect and the spectral weight transfer of the manganites

Pump-probe Kerr spectroscopy uncovers surface magnetic dynamics in Pr0.67Ca0.33MnO3 that are undetected by established methods based on optical spectral weight transfer. The connection between spin and charge dynamics in the colossally magnetoresistive manganites may thus be weaker than previously thought. Important differences from conventional ferromagnetic metals manifest as long-lived, magneto-optical coupling transients, which may be generic to all manganites.     

Evidence for an oxygen diffusion model for the electric pulse induced resistance change effect in transition-metal oxides

Electric-pulse induced resistance hysteresis switching loops for Pr0.7Ca0.3MnO3 perovskite oxide films were found to exhibit an additional sharp "shuttle tail" peak around the negative pulse maximum for films deposited in an oxygen-deficient ambient. The resistance relaxation in time of this "shuttle tail" peak as well as resistance relaxation in the transition regions of the resistance hysteresis loop show evidence of oxygen diffusion under electric pulsing, and support a proposed oxygen diffusion model with oxygen vacancy pileup at the metal electrode interface region as the active process for the nonvolatile resistance switching effect in transition-metal oxides.     

Structural and magnetic phase transitions in Pr0.7Ca0.3MnO3 at high pressures

JETP Letters - The crystal structure and Raman spectra of Pr0.7Ca0.3MnO3 manganite at high pressures of up to 30 GPa and the magnetic structure at pressures of up to 1 GPa have been studied. A...     

New phase transition in the Pr1-xCaxMnO3 system: evidence for electrical polarization in charge ordered manganites

In this Letter a detailed study of the electric field gradient (EFG) across the Pr(1-x)Ca(x)MnO(3) phase diagram and its temperature dependence is given. Clearly, distinct EFG behavior for samples outside or inside the charge order (CO) region are observed. The EFG temperature dependence evidences a new phase transition occurring over the broad CO region of the phase diagram. This transition is discontinuous and occurs at temperatures between the charge ordering and the Néel temperatures. The prominent features observed in the EFG are associated with polar atomic vibrations which eventually lead to a spontaneous local electric polarization below CO transition.     

Direct observation of large electronic domains with memory effect in doped manganites

We use a spatially resolved, direct spectroscopic probe for electronic structure with an additional sensitivity to chemical compositions to investigate high-quality single crystal samples of La(1/4)Pr(3/8)Ca(3/8)MnO3, establishing the formation of distinct insulating domains embedded in the metallic host at low temperatures. These domains are found to be at least an order of magnitude larger in size compared to previous estimates and exhibit memory effects on temperature cycling in the absence of any perceptible chemical inhomogeneity, suggesting long-range strains as the probable origin.     

(Pr,Nd)_(2/3)Sr_(1/3)MnO_3体系中的低温比热反常现象

主要研究了(Pr1-yNdy)2/3Sr1/3MnO3体系多晶样品在低温下的比热反常现象.Pr2/3Sr1/3MnO3在低温下没有比热反常现象,但随着Nd替代Pr,比热反常开始出现,峰值逐渐增加,峰值出现温度逐渐减小;在磁场的作用下,峰值减小,峰值出现温度逐渐增加;经分析,该低温比热反常现象与Schottky效应相关.     

Colossal magnetoresistance without phase separation: disorder-induced spin glass state and nanometer scale orbital-charge correlation in half doped manganites

The magnetic and electrical properties of high-quality single crystals of A-site disordered (solid solution) Ln0.5Ba0.5MnO3 are investigated near the phase boundary between the spin-glass insulator and colossal-magnetoresistive ferromagnetic metal, locating near Ln=Sm. The temperature dependence of the ac susceptibility and the x-ray diffuse scattering of Eu0.5Ba0.5MnO3 are analyzed in detail. The uniformity of the random potential perturbation in Ln0.5Ba0.5MnO3 crystals with a small bandwidth yields, rather than the phase separation, an homogeneous short ranged charge or orbital order which gives rise to a nearly atomic spin-glass state. Remarkably, this microscopically disordered "charge-exchange-glass" state alone is able to bring forth the colossal magnetoresistance.     

Giant discrete steps in metal-insulator transition in perovskite manganite wires

Optical lithography is used to fabricate LPCMO wires starting from a single (La(5/8-0.3)Pr(0.3))Ca3/8MnO3 (LPCMO) film epitaxially grown on a LaAlO3(100) substrate. As the width of the wires is decreased, the resistivity of the LPCMO wires exhibits giant and ultrasharp steps upon varying temperature and magnetic field in the vicinity of the metal-insulator transition. The origin of the ultrasharp transitions is attributed to the effect of spatial confinement on the percolative transport in manganites.     

Current oscillation and low-field colossal magnetoresistance effect in phase-separated manganites

Current-induced switching from a metallic to an insulating state is observed in phase-separated states of (La(1-y)Pr(y))0.7Ca0.3MnO3 (y=0.7) and Nd(0.5)Ca(0.5)Mn(1-z)Cr(z)O3 (z=0.03) crystals. The application of magnetic fields to this current-induced insulating state causes a pronounced low-field negative magnetoresistance effect [rho(H)/rho(0)=10(-3) at H=1 kOe]. The application of a constant voltage also causes the breakdown of the Ohmic relation above a threshold voltage. At voltages higher than this threshold value, oscillations in currents are observed. This oscillation is well reproduced by a simple model of local switching of a percolative conduction path.     

Imaging of percolative conduction paths and their breakdown in phase-separated (La1-yPry)0.7Ca0.3MnO3 with y=0.7

Local magnetization and current distribution in (La(1-y)Pr(y))0.7Ca0.3MnO3 (y=0.7) crystals are studied by a magneto-optical (MO) imaging technique. MO images below 120 K visualize inhomogeneous magnetization and conduction paths that manifest the percolative conduction originated from the mesoscopic phase separation into ferromagnetic metals and antiferromagnetic insulators. Application of large amounts of current switches the current distribution from inhomogeneous to homogeneous concomitantly with a steep increase in resistivity. These phenomena are discussed in view of current induced collapse of the phase separation through a local heating.     

Pressure-tuned collapse of the Mott-like state in Ca(n+1)Ru(n)O(3n+1) (n=1,2): Raman spectroscopic studies

We report a Raman scattering study of the pressure-induced collapse of the Mott-like phases of Ca3Ru2O7 (T(N)=56 K) and Ca2RuO4 (T(N)=110 K). The pressure dependence of the phonon and two-magnon excitations in these materials indicate (i) a T approximately 0 pressure-induced collapse of the antiferromagnetic (AF) insulating phase above P(*) approximately 55 kbar in Ca3Ru2O7 and P(*) approximately 5-10 kbar in Ca2RuO4, (ii) a remarkable insensitivity of the exchange interaction to pressure in both systems, and (iii) evidence for persistent AF correlations above the critical pressure of Ca2RuO4, suggestive of phase separation involving AF insulator and ferromagnetic metal phases.