Current-induced electroresistance in CMR materials La/sub 1-x/Ba/sub x/MnO/sub 3/

Abstract

The influence of a transport dc current on electric resistance has been investigated in epitaxial thin films La/sub 1-x/Ba/sub x/MnO/sub 3/ (x = 0.1, 0.3), which typically shows CMR (colossal magnetoresistance) effect. Attention was focused at the influence of the applied dc current on the resistance in the absence of a magnetic field. Significant change of ratio of the peak resistance at different currents was found. The reduction of the peak resistance reaches /spl sim/27%, and /spl sim/13% with a current density up to 1.3 /spl times/ 1/sup 0/5 Acm/sup -2/, and 1.25 /spl times/ 10/sup 5/ Acm/sup -2/ for x = 0.1, and 0.3 film, respectively. The current-induced electroresistance in film x = 0.1 is larger than that of x = 0.3 at any applied current density, which is consistent with the observed CMR effect. The film x = 0.1 also shows larger CMR than x = 0.3 at any applied magnetic field. The action of a current density of 1.3 /spl times/ 10/sup 5/ Acm/sup -2/, for the both cases, was found to be equivalent to the MR effect caused by 1.5 T near Curie temperature T/sub C/. The phenomenon that the resistance in CMR manganites could be easily controlled by the electric current should be of high interest for both fundamental research and practical application.