Colossal Magnetoresistance Effect Research Articles

The magnificent manifestation of Nd0.7Sr0.3MnO3 ceramics: A comprehensive exploration of different wet chemical routes via sol-gel and thermal treatment methods

The mixed-valence manganite has sparked immense interest owing to its intriguing colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) effect. However, a research gap exists in the current literature regarding Nd-based manganites with intermediate bandwidth. This paper addresses this gap by investigating Nd0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (NSMO) ceramics prepared through two different synthesis approaches: the newly developed thermal treatment method (TT) and the well-established sol-gel method (SG). The XRD analysis revealed a single high-purity NSMO phase with insignificant alteration in Mn-O bond length and Mn-O-Mn bond angle for both samples. Nevertheless, SG exhibited larger particle size (209.3 nm) and better crystallinity in comparison to TT (178.6 nm). These factors significantly affect the magnetic transition width while preserving the Curie temperature, TC ≈ 246 K. Regarding electrical behaviour, TT showed a robust suppression of the metal-insulator transition temperature, TMI from 224 K (SG) to 182 K. This difference can be attributed to the existence of magnetic disordered layer at the grain boundaries. Consequently, this resulted in an increased scattering process and elevated resistivity from 8 Ω (SG) to 22 Ω (TT). Various theoretical models were employed to elucidate the transport mechanism at different temperature ranges. Interestingly, both samples displayed distinct magneto-transport behaviour despite negligible differences in their structural parameters. The occurrence of magnetoresistance peak in SG suggests a pronounced intrinsic CMR effect, while its absence in TT implies a dominant influence of extrinsic CMR. These findings highlight that the physical properties of the manganite are not only governed by their intragrain properties (TC) but are also influenced by intergrain contributions (TMI) when various synthesis routes were utilised.

Magnetic proximity sensor based on colossal magnetoresistance effect

Magnetic proximity sensors are widely used to determine the distance to ferromagnetic or highly conductive materials and to investigate their shape or to detect their motion. In this study, a magnetic proximity sensor incorporating a cylindrical permanent magnet and a scalar magnetic field sensor (measuring the magnitude of the field independently from its orientation) based on the phenomenon of colossal magnetoresistance in manganite films is presented. Two versions of the sensor, one with a solid cylindrical magnet and one with a hollow cylindrical magnet, were constructed and tested. A steel plate and a superconducting YBaCuO disk were used to investigate the static response. The measurements of the dynamic behavior were carried out with rotating steel and duralumin plates. The results of the static experiments and modelling showed that the output response (change of the magnetic field) of the sensor had a hyperbolic relationship with the distance between the sensor and the measured object. This change was positive for solid cylindrical magnet design and negative for hollow cylindrical magnet design when the target was steel. In contrast, the solid magnet-based sensor produced a negative signal for the superconducting material, while the hollow cylindrical magnet sensor showed a positive signal. It was found that the main features of the dynamic response of the proximity sensors can be explained by the magnetization of steel and the induction of eddy currents in duralumin. The present study demonstrates that the proposed magnetic proximity sensor can be successfully used to search for ferromagnetic objects, investigate the properties of superconductors and detect the motion of non-ferromagnetic conductive materials and can have advantages over conventional magnetic proximity sensors.

Interfacial strain induced giant magnetoresistance and magnetodielectric effects in multiferroic BCZT/LSMO thin film heterostructures

Layered thin films of the ferroelectric perovskite Ba0.85Ca0.15Ti0.9Zr0.1O3 (BCZT) and the ferromagnetic half-metal La0.80Sr0.20MnO3 (LSMO) are well-known multiferroic systems that show promise for spintronic applications. In this work, the structure–property relationships are explored in novel BCZT/LSMO thin film heterostructures with optimized ferroic properties. Epitaxial BCZT/LSMO thin film heterostructures are grown by varying the lattice mismatch strains on single crystal LaAlO3 (LAO) (100) and MgO (100) substrates using the pulsed laser deposition technique. The epitaxial strain in the films gives rise to a tetragonal distortion of the BCZT and LSMO unit cells and significantly affects their magnetotransport and magnetodielectric properties. The BCZT/LSMO/LAO heterostructure exhibits a colossal magnetoresistance effect due to a large out-of-plane tensile strain, which induces enhanced carrier hopping in the LSMO layer as compared to the BCZT/LSMO/MgO film. The larger tetragonal distortion of the BCZT unit cell in BCZT/LSMO/MgO contributes to higher dielectric permittivity, with a greater dielectric maxima temperature and freezing temperature. Magnetodielectric measurements reveal a hitherto unobserved giant magnetodielectric effect in the BCZT/LSMO/MgO film, attributed to a large in-plane strain, which induces interfacial polarization distortion at the interfacial layer. Overall, this work elucidates the unique strain and charge-mediated cross-coupled phenomena of magnetic and electric orders in multiferroic thin film heterostructures, which are critical for their technological applications.

Fingerprints of the Jahn-Teller and superexchange physics in optical spectra of manganites

Transition metal oxides incorporating Jahn-Teller (JT) ions Mn3+ (3d 4) in manganites and Cu2+ (3d 9) in cuprates exhibit outstanding magnetic and electronic properties, including colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) and high-temperature superconductivity (HTSC). The physics of these compounds is associated with the orbitally-degenerate electronic states of JT ions, leading to the linear electron-lattice interaction, complemented by the entirely electronic superexchange (SE) interaction. Here, we discuss the fingerprints of the JT and SE physics in the temperature-dependent complex dielectric function spectra and multi-order Raman scattering spectra measured in a detwinned LaMnO3 crystal, which is a famous compound exhibiting cooperative JT effect, being also a progenitor of magnetic materials exhibiting CMR effect. In accordance with the obtained experimental evidence, the associated effective parameters characterizing the JT and SE physics in manganites are presented.

Variation of magnetic properties with current in ferrimagnetic semiconductor Mn3Si2Te6

Orbital currents play a fundamental role in a wide range of transport phenomena. Recently, the discovery of a novel chiral orbital current state in the ferrimagnetic nodal-line semiconductor Mn3Si2Te6 has attracted significant interest, supported by anomalous I–V characteristics and time-dependent bistable switching. However, the direct experimental verifications, combining electrical transport and magnetic measurement, that detect the variation of the magnetic properties vs the current are still rare. Here, we investigate the transport properties of Mn3Si2Te6 and track the current-induced dynamics of the magnetic moment. Reflective magnetic circular dichroism reveals that significant alterations in Mn3Si2Te6 magnetoresistance in response to an electric field are necessarily coupled with a magnetic phase transition, establishing a rare correlation. Our findings indicate the predominance of magnetic chiral orbital currents in the colossal angular magnetoresistance effect, offering a unique platform for advanced studies in orbital magnetism.

Enhanced TCR and MR by grain boundary modification and phase competition in La0.67Ca0.33MnO3: Aux (x=0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15) composite ceramics

La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 (LCMO) ceramics exhibit high temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and colossal magnetoresistance effect (CMR). Increasing their TCR and MR values can enhance potential applications in uncooled infrared detectors and magnetic storage devices. However, presence of inherent grain boundaries and defects within these ceramics significantly limits their performance. Therefore, this work proposed modifying grain boundaries of LCMO ceramic using low-resistivity and stable Au to enhance its electrical transport and improve magnetoresistance performance through competition between antiferromagnetic Au and ferromagnetic La0.67Ca0.33MnO3. A series of La0.67Ca0.33MnO3: Aux (x = 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15) composite ceramics was prepared by sol-gel and solid-state methods. Introduction of Au increased TCR from 40.1 %·K−1 to 55.2 %·K−1 and MR from 60.4 % to 74.2 %, when x = 0.10. This study demonstrates that proposed strategy involving multiphase interactions can significantly improve electrical transport and magnetic properties of functional materials, with promising applications in areas such as thermoelectric and magnetoelectric conversion.

Tuning Colossal Magnetoresistance Effect Through Chemical Substitution In Perovskite Manganites

Objective: This research is focused on the colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) effect tunability via chemical substitution in perovskite manganites. The objective is to learn how changing the chemical structure of these compounds affect their magnetic and electronic characteristics particularly the CMR effect. Methods: Perovskite manganite materials were prepared by the chemical substitution method to tune the composition of transition metal ions and rare-earth elements. The structural, magnetic, and electronic characterizations were done by the means of X-ray diffraction, magnetization measurements, and electrical transport measurements. Results: The study showed that the selective chemical substitution within the perovskite structure could be used to modulate the CMR effect in manganite materials. Due to the differences in chemical structure the magnetic ordering, charge carrier concentration and electronic band structure are altered which in turn influence the magnitude of the CMR effect. For example, specific chemical substitutions were shown to remarkably strengthen the CMR effect, leading to better magnetoresistance characteristics. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the possibility of tuning the CMR effect by the chemical substitution of Mn perovskite materials. By manipulating the chemical composition, it is achievable to fine-tune the magnetic and electronic characteristics for various spintronics, magnetic sensors and other devices that need high magnetoresistance effects. The results help to gain more knowledge about CMR in manganite systems and provide the guidance for the research on improving their performance.

Thermally Reentrant Crystalline Phase Change in Perovskite-Derivative Nickelate Enabling Reversible Switching of Room-Temperature Electrical Resistivity.

Reversible switching of room-temperature electrical resistivity due to crystal-amorphous transition is demonstrated in various chalcogenides for development of non-volatile phase change memory. However, such reversible thermal switching of room-temperature electrical resistivity has not reported in transition metal oxides so far, despite their enormous studies on the electrical conduction like metal-insulator transition and colossal magnetoresistance effect. In this study, a thermally reversible switching of room-temperature electrical resistivity is reported with gigantic variation in a layered nickelate Sr2.5 Bi0.5 NiO5 (1201-SBNO) composed of (Sr1.5 Bi0.5 )O2 rock-salt and SrNiO3 perovskite layers via unique crystalline phase changes between the conducting 1201-SBNO with ordered (O-1201), disordered Sr/Bi arrangements in the (Sr1.5 Bi0.5 )O2 layer (D-1201), and insulating oxygen-deficient double perovskite Sr2 BiNiO4.5 (d-perovskite). The O-1201 is reentrant by high-temperature annealing of ≈1000°C through crystalline phase change into the D-1201 and d-perovskite, resulting in the thermally reversible switching of room-temperature electrical resistivity with 102 - and 109 -fold variation, respectively. The 1201-SBNO is the first oxide to show the thermally reversible switching of room-temperature electrical resistivity via the crystalline phase changes, providing a new perspective on the electrical conduction for transition metal oxides.

Mixed orbital states and modulated crystal structures in La1−xCaxMnO3 deduced from synchrotron X-ray diffraction

In the model manganese perovskites La1−xCaxMnO3, several important phenomena have been observed, including ferromagnetic metallic/insulating states, colossal magnetoresistance effects, and charge- and orbital-ordered states. In the past, only compounds with x = 1/2, 2/3 and 3/4 and an insulating ground/antiferromagnetic state have been studied. To fully understand the crystal and electronic structures of these materials, it is important to study compounds with doping levels in the range of 0.5 < x < 2/3. Here we study the crystal structure in a series of compounds with 0.5 < x ≤ 0.6 using ultrahigh-resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction. The experimental results reveal that all compounds undergo a structural transition at T < TCO(x) ≈ 200 − 220 K with the concomitant emergence of superlattice Bragg peaks, which can be indexed assuming a superstructure with a modulation propagation vector, τ. At the base temperature of 5 K, the modulation vector of the superstructure τ = [τa, 0, 0] is parallel to the a-axis, with τa varying linearly with x, as τa ≈ 1 − x. Our results may aid attempts to understand more deeply phenomena related to spin, charge, and orbital ordering, as well as colossal magnetoresistance and symmetry breaking and emergent order in quantum states.

Electronic structure, magnetic properties, spin orientation, and doping effect in Mn3Si2Te6

The layered material Mn$_3$Si$_2$Te$_6$, with alternating stacking honeycomb and triangular layers, is attracting considerable attention due to its rich physical properties. Here, using density functional theory and classical Monte Carlo (MC) methods, we systematically study this system. Near the Fermi level, the states are mainly contributed by Te $5p$ orbitals hybridized with Mn $3d$ orbitals, resembling a charge transfer system. Furthermore, the spin orientations of the ferrimagnetic (FiM) ground state display different conductive behaviors when along the $ab$ plane or out-of-plane directions: insulating vs. metallic states. The energy difference between the FiM [110] insulating and FiM [001] metallic phases is very small($ \sim 0.71$ meV/Mn). Changing the angle $\theta$ of spin orientation from in-plane to out-of-plane directions, the band gaps of this system are gradually reduced, leading to an insulator-metal transition, resulting in an enhanced electrical conductivity, related to the colossal angular magnetoresistance (MR) effect. In addition, we also constructed the magnetic phase diagram using the classical $XY$ spin model studied with the MC method. Three magnetic phases were obtained including antiferromagnetic order, noncollinear spin patterns, and FiM order. Moreover, we also investigated the Se- and Ge- doping into the Mn$_3$Si$_2$Te$_6$ system: the FiM state has the lowest energy among the magnetic candidates for both Se- or Ge- doped cases. The magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) decreases in the Se-doped case because the Mn orbital moment is reduced as the doping $x$ increases. Due to the small spin-orbital coupling effect of Se, the insulator-metal transition caused by the spin orientation disappears in the Se-doped case, resulting in an insulating phase in the FiM [001] phase. This causes a reduced colossal angular MR.

Colossal piezoresistance in narrow-gap Eu5In2Sb6

A remarkably large reduction in the electrical resistivity of the quantum material Eu${}_{5}$In${}_{2}$Sb${}_{6}$ is discovered as a function of applied uniaxial pressure. This phenomenon, called colossal piezoresistance, is linked to a colossal magnetoresistance effect previously observed in this material. There is a common origin for the two phenomena, namely the interaction-driven formation of magnetic metallic clusters in semiconducting Eu${}_{5}$In${}_{2}$Sb${}_{6}$. These results will aid our understanding of colossal magnetoresistance and piezoresistance effects in a broad set of quantum materials.

Effect of A‐Site Cation Ordering on the Electrical and Magnetic Properties of Manganite Films

(111)‐oriented [(SrMnO3)1/(LaMnO3)2]n superlattices with artificial A‐site cation ordering with respect to the compositionally equivalent La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 films with a random distribution of the A‐site dopants are fabricated. It is found that the ferromagnetism and electrical transport properties of La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 films are primarily independent of the degree of A‐site cation ordering, as evidenced by their identical critical temperatures of phase transition. These results may reveal the spontaneous nature of the electronic phase separation, which is key to the colossal magnetoresistance effect in manganites. In contrast, compared to the La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 films, the A‐site ordered (111) superlattices have a tendency to preserve oxygen vacancies inside, making them extremely difficult to be compensated by the post‐annealing process.

Influence of Thickness on the Magnetic and Magnetotransport Properties of Epitaxial La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 Films Deposited on STO (0 0 1).

Epitaxial La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 films with different thicknesses (9–90 nm) were deposited on SrTiO3 (0 0 1) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The films have been investigated with respect to morpho-structural, magnetic, and magneto-transport properties, which have been proven to be thickness dependent. Magnetic contributions with different switching mechanisms were evidenced, depending on the perovskite film thickness. The Curie temperature increases with the film thickness. In addition, colossal magnetoresistance effects of up to 29% above room temperature were evidenced and discussed in respect to the magnetic behavior and film thickness.

Colossal Magnetoresistance in Ti Lightly Doped Cr2Se3 Single Crystals with a Layered Structure.

Stoichiometric Cr2Se3 single crystals are particular layer-structured antiferromagnets, which possess a noncollinear spin configuration, weak ferromagnetic moments, moderate magnetoresistance (MR ∼14.3%), and poor metallic conductivity below the antiferromagnetic phase transition. Here, we report an interesting >16 000% colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) effect in Ti (1.5 atomic percent) lightly doped Cr2Se3 single crystals. Such a CMR is approximately 1143 times larger than that of the stoichiometric Cr2Se3 crystals and is rarely observed in layered antiferromagnets and is attributed to the frustrated spin configuration. Moreover, the Ti doping not only dramatically changes the electronic conductivity of the Cr2Se3 crystal from a bad metal to a semiconductor with a gap of ∼15 meV but also induces a change in the magnetic anisotropy of the Cr2Se3 crystal from strong out-of-plane to weak in-plane. Further, magnetotransport measurements reveal that the low-field MR scales with the square of the reduced magnetization, which is a signature of CMR materials. The layered Ti:Cr2Se3 with the CMR effect could be used as two-dimensional (2D) heterostructure building blocks to provide colossal negative MR in spintronic devices.

Arrested Phase Separation in Double-Exchange Models: Large-Scale Simulation Enabled by Machine Learning.

We present large-scale dynamical simulations of electronic phase separation in the single-band double-exchange model based on deep-learning neural-network potentials trained from small-size exact diagonalization solutions. We uncover an intriguing correlation-induced freezing behavior as doped holes are segregated from half filled insulating background during equilibration. While the aggregation of holes is stabilized by the formation of ferromagnetic clusters through Hund's coupling between charge carriers and local magnetic moments, this stabilization also creates confining potentials for holes when antiferromagnetic spin-spin correlation is well developed in the background. The dramatically reduced mobility of the self-trapped holes prematurely disrupts further growth of the ferromagnetic clusters, leading to an arrested phase separation. Implications of our findings for phase separation dynamics in materials that exhibit colossal magnetoresistance effect are discussed.

Colossal electroresistance response accompanied by metal-insulator transition in a mixed-valent vanadate

Colossal electroresistance (CER) in manganites, i.e., a large change in electrical resistance as a function of varying applied electric field or applied electric current, has often been described as complimentary to the colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) effect. Mixed valence vanadates with active ${t}_{2g}$ and empty ${e}_{g}$ orbitals, unlike manganites, have not naturally been discussed in this context, as double exchange based CMR is not realizable in them. However, presence of coupled spin and orbital degrees of freedom, metal-insulator transition (MIT) accompanied by orbital order-disorder transition, still make the vanadates important. Here we probe a Fe-doped hollandite lead vanadate $\mathrm{Pb}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{1.75}{\mathrm{V}}_{4.25}{\mathrm{O}}_{11}$ (PFVO), which exhibits a clear MIT as a function of temperature. Most importantly, a giant fall in the resistivity, indicative of a CER, as well as a systematic shift in the MIT towards higher temperatures are observed with increasing applied current. Detailed structural, magnetic, thermodynamic, and transport studies point towards a complex interplay between the structural distortion, orbital order/disorder effect, and the resultant MIT and magnetic ordering in this system.

Colossal magneto-resistive relaxation effects in La0.9Ce0.1Fe12B6

The study of the magnetic, electronic transport, and magnetotransport properties of La0.9Ce0.1Fe12B6 itinerant-electron system has been performed by combining magnetization, electrical resistivity, and magnetoresistance experiments. Along with the antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering at TN = 35 K, two consecutive magnetic transformations, antiferromagnetic–ferromagnetic (AFM–FM) and ferromagnetic–paramagnetic (FM–PM), occur upon heating under certain magnetic field values. At fixed temperatures, it is revealed that both AFM and PM phases can be converted into the FM phase irreversibly and reversibly via a first-order metamagnetic transition associated with a large hysteresis. Below 8 K, the metamagnetic transition is discontinuous, manifesting itself by multiple sudden jumps in magnetoresistance and magnetization. A giant negative magnetoresistance effect of about −78% is found. We further demonstrate that the time dependencies of the electrical resistivity and the magnetization exhibit colossal spontaneous steps after an incubation time in conditions where both the applied magnetic field and temperature are constant. Another intriguing observation in the phase diagram is the presence of a critical point at the crossover of the three distinct PM, FM, and AFM magnetic states.

Spin-Seebeck effect and thermal colossal magnetoresistance in the narrowest zigzag graphene nanoribbons

Device miniaturization and low-energy dissipation are two urgent requirements in future spintronics devices. The narrowest zigzag graphene nanoribbons (ZGNRs), which are composed of just two coupled carbon-atom chains connected with carbon tetragons, are promising candidates that meet both of the above requirements well. Using the first-principles calculations combined with non-equilibrium Green’s function approach, thermal spin-dependent transport through this kind of narrow ZGNR is investigated, and several exotic thermal spin-resolved transport properties are uncovered: (i) when an external magnetic field is applied, the ZGNRs are transited from the intrinsic semiconducting to the metallic state, and the thermal colossal magnetoresistance effect occurs with order of magnitudes up to 104 at room temperature; (ii) the thermal spin-dependent currents display a thermal negative differential resistance effect, and a well-defined spin-Seebeck effect (SSE) together with a pure thermal spin current occurs; and (iii) under suitable device temperature settings, a nearly perfect spin-filtering effect occurs in these narrowest ZGNRs. The theoretical results not only uncover the narrowest nanoribbon structures to realize the SSE and other inspiring thermal spin transport features, but also push carbon-based material candidates towards thermoelectric conversion device applications.

Origin of magnetovolume effect in a cobaltite

The layered perovskite PrBaCo2O5.5+x demonstrates a strong negative thermal expansion (NTE) which holds potential for being fabricated into composites with zero thermal expansion. The NTE was found to be intimately associated with the spontaneous magnetic ordering, known as magnetovolume effect (MVE). Here we report with compelling evidences that the continuous-like MVE in PrBaCo2O5.5+x is intrinsically of discontinuous character, originating from an magnetoelectric transition from an antiferromagnetic insulating large-volume (AFILV) phase to a ferromagnetic metallic small-volume (FMSV) phase. Furthermore, the magnetoelectric effect (ME) shows high sensitivity to multiple external stimuli such as temperature, carrier doping, hydrostatic pressure, magnetic field etc. In contrast to the well-known ME such as colossal magnetoresistance and multiferroic effect which involve symmetry breaking of crystal structure, the ME in the cobaltite is purely isostructural. Our discovery provides a new pathway to realizing the ME as well as the NTE, which may find applications in new techniques.

Magnetic Field Measurements during Magnetic Pulse Welding Using CMR-B-Scalar Sensors.

The possibility of applying CMR-B-scalar sensors made from thin manganite films exhibiting the colossal magnetoresistance effect as a fast-nondestructive method for the evaluation of the quality of the magnetic pulse welding (MPW) process is investigated in this paper. This method based on magnetic field magnitude measurements in the vicinity of the tools and joining parts was tested during the electromagnetic compression and MPW of an aluminum flyer tube with a steel parent. The testing setup used for the investigation allowed the simultaneous measurement of the flyer displacement, its velocity, and the magnitude of the magnetic field close to the flyer. The experimental results and simulations showed that, during the welding of the aluminum tube with the steel parent, the maximum magnetic field in the gap between the field shaper and the flyer is achieved much earlier than the maximum of the current pulse of the coil and that the first half-wave pulse of the magnetic field has two peaks. It was also found that the time instant of the minimum between these peaks depends on the charging energy of the capacitors and is associated with the collision of the flyer with the parent. Together with the first peak maximum and its time-position, this characteristic could be an indication of the welding quality. These results were confirmed by simultaneous measurements of the flyer displacement and velocity, as well as a numerical simulation of the magnetic field dynamics. The relationship between the peculiarities of the magnetic field pulse and the quality of the welding process is discussed. It was demonstrated that the proposed method of magnetic field measurement during magnetic pulse welding in combination with subsequent peel testing could be used as a nondestructive method for the monitoring of the quality of the welding process.