Magnetoresistance anisotropy in La0.67Ba0.33MnO3 films laterally compressed by a neodymium gallate substrate

The mismatch in the crystal lattice parameters induces biaxial lateral compression of 35-nm La_0.67Ba_0.33MnO₃ films coherently grown on neodymium gallate substrates. Mechanical stresses emerging during the nucleation and growth of the manganite layer facilitate the depletion of this layer in the alkali-earth element. This results in an increase in the unit cell volume in the grown films and a decrease in temperature T _M at which the resistivity attains the maximal value. The extremal values of the negative magnetoresistance (MR ≈ 17% for μ₀ H = 1 T) of the grown films are observed at temperatures close to room temperature. At T < T _M , the response of the resistivity of the films to the magnetic field depends on the direction of this field relative to the normal to the substrate plane and to the direction of the measuring current. At T = 95 K, scattering of holes from 90°-domain walls leads to an increase in the resistivity of the manganite films by approximately 1.1%, while the negative anisotropic magnetoresistance reaches 1.5%.