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.