Influence of high-energy electron irradiation on the transport properties of La_{1-x}Ca_{x}MnO_{3} films (x \approx 1/3)

The effect of crystal lattice disorder on the conductivity and colossal magnetoresistance in La_{1-x}Ca_{x}MnO_{3} (x \approx 0.33) films has been examined. The lattice defects are introduced by irradiating the film with high-energy (\simeq 6 MeV) electrons with a maximal fluence of about 2\times 10^{17} cm^{-2}. This comparatively low dose of irradiation produces rather small radiation damage in the films. The number of displacements per atom (dpa) in the irradiated sample is about 10^{-5}. Nethertheless, this results in an appreciable increase in the film resistivity. The percentage of resistivity increase in the ferromagnetic metallic state (below the Curie tempetature T_{c}) was much greater than that observed in the insulating state (above T_{c}). At the same time irradiation has much less effect on T_{c} or on the magnitude of the colossal magnetoresistance. A possible explanation of such behavior is proposed.Comment: RevTex, 22 pages, 3 Postscript figures, submitted to Eur. Phys. J.

Anisotropic magnetoresistive properties of La_{1-x}Ca_{x}MnO_{3} (x \approx 1/3) film at temperatures far below the Curie temperature

A sharp distinction between magnetoresistance (MR) behavior for the magnetic fields applied perpendicular (H_{perp}) and parallel (H_{par}) to the film plane is found in colossal-magnetoresistance film La_{1-x}Ca_{x}MnO_{3} (x \approx 3). At increasing of H_{perp} the MR is first negative (at H_{perp} < 4 kOe), then positive (4 kOe < H_{perp} < 12 kOe), and then negative again (H_{perp} > 12 kOe). At increasing of H_{par} the MR is positive below H_{par} \simeq 6 kOe and negative above it. In both cases the magnetic field was perpendicular to the current. The anisotropic behavior of this kind occurs only at low temperatures (T < 18 K) and is quite different from the results of previous studies.Comment: 2 pages,2 EPS figures, LT22 Proceedings, to appear in Physica

Transport and superconducting properties of RNi2B2C (R=Y, Lu) single crystals

Journals published by the American Physical Society can be found at http://journals.aps.org/The in-plane resistivity, in-plane absolute thermopower, and upper critical held measurements are reported for single-crystal samples of YNi2B2C and LuNi2B2C superconductors. The in-plane resistivity shows metallic behavior and varies approximately linearly with temperature near room temperature (RT) but shows nearly quadratic behavior in temperature at low temperatures. The YNi2B2C and LuNi2B2C single-crystal samples exhibit large transverse magnetoresistance (approximate to 6-8% at 45 kOe) in the ab plane. The absolute thermopower S(T) is negative from RT to the superconducting transition temperature T-c. Its magnitude at RT is a few times of the value for a typical good metal. S(T) is approximately linear in temperature between approximate to 150 K and RT. Extrapolation to T = 0 gives large intercepts (few mu V/K) for both samples suggesting the presence of a much larger ''knee'' than would be expected from electron-phonon interaction renormalization effects. The upper critical fields for H parallel and perpendicular to the c axis and the superconducting parameters derived from it do not show any anisotropy for the YNi2B2C single-crystal samples in agreement with magnetization and torque magnetometry measurements, but a small anisotropy is observed for the LuNi2B2C single crystals. The analysis shows that these are moderately strong-coupling type-II superconductors (similar to the A-15 compounds) with a value of the electron-phonon coupling parameter lambda(0) approximately equal to 1.2 for YNi2B2C and 1.0 for LuNi2B2C, the Ginzburg-Landau coherence length xi(0) approximately equal to 70 Angstrom, and H-c2(0) similar to 60-70 kOe. The temperature dependence of the upper critical field shows a positive curvature near T-c in disagreement with the Werthamer, Helfand, Hohenberg, and Maki (WHHM) theory but in agreement with a recent solution of the Gor'kov equation using a basis formed by Landau levels (Bahcall); however, the data show a severe disagreement between the observed low-temperature behavior of H-c2(T) and that predicted either by WHHM or Bahcall's expressions

Giant change in IR light transmission in La_{0.67}Ca_{0.33}MnO_{3} film near the Curie temperature: promising application in optical devices

Transport, magnetic, magneto-optical (Kerr effect) and optical (light absorption) properties have been studied in an oriented polycrystalline La_{0.67}Ca_{0.33}MnO_{3} film which shows colossal magneto-resistance. The correlations between these properties are presented. A giant change in IR light transmission (more than a 1000-fold decrease) is observed on crossing the Curie temperature (about 270 K) from high to low temperature. Large changes in transmittance in a magnetic field were observed as well. The giant changes in transmittance and the large magneto-transmittance can be used for development of IR optoelectronic devices controlled by thermal and magnetic fields. Required material characteristics of doped manganites for these devices are discussed.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, submitted to J. Appl. Phy

Extrinsic inhomogeneity effects in magnetic, transport and magnetoresistive properties of La_{1-x}Ca_{x}MnO_{3} (x\approx 0.33) crystal prepared by the floating zone method

The paper describes a study of the magnetic, transport and magnetoresistive properties of La_{1-x}Ca_{x}MnO_{3} (x\approx 0.33) crystals prepared by the floating-zone method. We found that these properties testify to rather good crystal perfection of the sample studied. In particular, a huge magnetoresistance ([R(0)-R(H)]/R(H) in the field H = 5 T is about 2680 %) is found near the Curie temperature (216 K). At the same time, some distinct features of measured properties indicate the influence of extrinsic inhomogeneities arising due to technological factors in the sample preparation. Analysis of the data obtained shows that these are rare grain boundaries and twins. Specific influence of the grain-boundary-like inhomogeneities on the transport and magnetoresistive properties are considered.Comment: Submitted to Physica

Enhancing specificity in proxy-design for the assessment of bioenergetics.

The purpose of this study was to examine the hypothesis that improved prediction of bioenergetics may be achieved when proxies are designed to simulate closely gold standard laboratory protocols. To accomplish this, a modified 'square' variation (SST) of the classical 20m Multistage Shuttle Run Test (MST) was designed aiming to reduce the stopping, turning and side-stepping manoeuvres. Within two weeks, 50 male volunteers (age 21.5+/-1.6, BMI 24.4+/-2.2) randomly underwent three maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) assessments using a treadmill test (TT), the SST and MST. To assess SST reproducibility, 10 randomly-selected subjects performed the test twice. Validity results showed that mean predicted VO2max from SST was not significantly different compared to TT VO2max (p>0.05). In contrast, the equivalent value from MST was significantly higher (p0.05) and a correlation coefficient of r=0.98 (p<0.001), while LIM(AG) demonstrated a range of error equal to -0.2+/-2.6 (ml.kg(-1).min(-1)) with a coefficient of variation of +/-5.6%. It is concluded that, compared to MST, the SST had a higher agreement with TT. The latter may well be explained by the closer simulation in bioenergetics between the two protocols (ie, the continuous nature of SST provides a closer proxy of TT)

Exchange interaction and magnetoresistance in La₂/₃Ca₁/₃MnO₃ : experiment and models

The magnetization M(T) and electrical resistivity ρ(T) of a La₂/₃Ca₁/₃MnO₃ film have been studied in the temperature range 5 K⩽T⩽320 K in the magnetic field intervals 10 Oe⩽H⩽400 Oe and 0⩽H⩽50 kOe, respectively. It is found that the M(T)/M(0) value is larger than that predicted by the conventional molecular field model below the Curie point T=267 K, and that the ln ρ(T) dependence is close to linear in the temperature range 80 K<T<200 K (accordingly, ∂ ln ρ/∂T is constant in this region). A model of the electrical conductivity and magnetoresistivity of the system describing qualitatively the experimental results is proposed (the Δmτ model). The model includes a thermally activated (with characteristic energy Δ) mechanism of conductivity, dependence of the concentration and the effective mass (m) of the itinerant charge carriers on the magnetization, as well as scattering (with characteristic time τ) of the charge carriers by static breakings of the translational symmetry, thermal fluctuations of the magnetic order, and phonons

Influence of high-energy electron irradiation on the transport properties of La

The effect of crystal lattice disorder on the conductivity and colossal magnetoresistance in La$_{1-x}$CaxMnO3 ($x \approx 0.33$) films has been examined. The lattice defects are introduced by irradiating the film with high-energy ($\simeq 6$ MeV) electrons with a maximal fluence of about $2\times 10^{17}$ cm-2. This comparatively low dose of irradiation produces rather small radiation damage in the films. The number of displacements per atom (dpa) in the irradiated sample is about 10-5. Nevertheless, this results in an appreciable increase in the film resistivity. The percentage of the resistivity increase in the ferromagnetic metallic state (below the Curie temperature Tc) was much greater than that observed in the insulating state (above Tc). At the same time irradiation has much less effect on Tc or on the magnitude of the colossal magnetoresistance. A possible explanation of such behavior is proposed