Temperature-dependent periodicity halving of the in-plane angular magnetoresistance in La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin films on LaAlO3

Strain-engineering is used as a tool to alter electronic and magnetic properties like anisotropy energy. This study reports the different angle-dependent magnetoresistance properties of the strain-engineered La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) thin films, grown on LaAlO3, compared to their bulk analogs. Upon increasing temperature, a symmetry change from fourfold [cos(4θ)] to twofold [cos(2θ)] is observed in the angle-dependent resistance measurements. This systematic study with increasing temperature allows us to define three distinct temperature-dependent phases. The fourfold symmetric signal originates from magnetocrystalline anisotropy, whereas the twofold symmetric signal is believed to be the conventional anisotropic magnetoresistance. Our observations show that strain-engineering creates the possibility to manipulate the anisotropy, which, for example, can ultimately lead to observations of noncollinear quasi-particles like skyrmions in single layer thin films of LSMO. This work was realized using NanoLab NL facilities and is a part of the research program Skyrmionics: Towards New magnetic Skyrmions and Topological Memory (Project No. 16SKYR04). A.A.B. acknowledges financial support from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). We thank G. R. Blake, M. V. Mostovoy, A. Das, D. Ottomano, J. J. L. van Rijn, E. P. Vallabhaneni, P. Zhang, A. S. Goossens, and S. Chen for useful scientific discussions and J. G. Holstein and H. H. de Vries for technical assistance

Temperature-dependent out-of-plane anisotropy in compressively strained La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ thin films

We studied the temperature and strain dependence of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin films by performing temperature- and angle-dependent magnetotransport measurements. Three films of similar thickness (14 u.c., 14 u.c. and 15 u.c.) but with different out-of-plane crystallographic strain (1.9%, 0.9% and -0.7%) are studied. The films are grown on LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition. We observe a clear increase in the out-of-plane magnetic anisotropy with increasing out-of-plane strain in the angle-dependent magnetotransport measurements which is present up to 80 K for the highest (1.9%) strained sample. The deformation of the unit cell, as discussed in earlier reports, point to the magnetocrystalline anisotropy as the main driver altering the magnetic easy axis direction. Our results highlight the utility of the effective magnetocrystalline anisotropy as a tool to control the desired anisotropy in crystalline thin films of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3

Investigating the Electromechanical Behavior of Unconventionally Ferroelectric Hf0.5Zr0.5O2-Based Capacitors Through Operando Nanobeam X-Ray Diffraction

Understanding various aspects of ferroelectricity in hafnia-based nanomaterials is of vital importance for the development of future nonvolatile memory and logic devices. Here, the unconventional and weak electromechanical response of epitaxial La0.67Sr0.33MnO3/Hf0.5Zr0.5O2/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 ferroelectric capacitors is investigated, via the sensitivity offered by nanobeam X-ray diffraction experiments during application of electrical bias. It is shown that the pristine rhombohedral phase exhibits a linear piezoelectric effect with piezoelectric coefficient (|d33|) ≈ 0.5–0.8 pmV−1. It is found that the piezoelectric response is suppressed above the coercive voltage. For higher voltages, and with the onset of DC conductivity throughout the capacitor, a second-order effect is observed. The work sheds light into the electromechanical response of rhombohedral Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 and suggests its (un)correlation with ferroelectric switching

Efficacy of iron fortification compared to iron supplementation among Vietnamese schoolchildren

The effect of iron fortification is generally assumed to be less than iron supplementation; however, the magnitude of difference in effects is not known. The present study aims to compare the efficacy of these two strategies on anaemia and iron status. After screening on low Hb, 425 anaemic children in six primary schools in Tam Nong district of Phu Tho province were included in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial comparing two groups receiving iron fortified instant noodles or iron supplementation for 6 months and a control group, with children in all groups having been dewormed. Blood samples were collected before and after intervention for haemoglobin, serum ferritin (SF), serum transferrin receptor (TfR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and haemoglobinopathies analysis. Regression analysis was used to assess the effect of iron fortification and iron supplementation on haemoglobin concentration, SF, TfR, body iron, and anaemic status as outcome variables. The improvement of haemoglobin, SF, and body iron level in the group receiving iron fortification was 42% (2.6 g/L versus 6.2 g/L), 20% (23.5 μg/L versus 117.3 μg/L), and 31.3% (1.4 mg/kg versus 4.4 mg/kg) of that in the iron supplementation group. The prevalence of anaemia dropped to 15.1% in the control group, with an additional reduction of anaemia of 8.5% in the iron supplementation group. The additional reduction due to iron fortification was 5.4%, which amounts to well over 50% of the impact of supplementation. In conclusion, the efficacy of iron fortification based on reduction of prevalence of anaemia, and on the change in haemoglobin level, is about half of the maximum impact of supplementation in case of optimal compliance. Thus, in a population of anaemic children with mild iron deficiency, iron fortification should be the preferred strategy to combat anaemia

Affective and cognitive determinants of intention to consume twenty foods that contribute to fat intake

Fishbein and Ajzen's theory of reasoned action was used as a framework to study beliefs and attitudes towards twenty foods that contribute to fat intake in a Netherlands smaple population. Subjects between 18 and 75 years of age (n = 419, response rate 23€filled out a self-administered questionnaire. Subjects were Dutch, city-dwellers and from low-income areas. Due to the low response rate this sample must be considered as a convenience sample. The percentage of variance explained ranged from 35␏or cheese to 69␏or smoked beef. Attitudes were more important predictors of intention to consume foods than subjective norms were. Additional path analyses on behavioral beliefs and attitudes showed that the liking attitude was a more important predictor of intention than the good/bad attitude. Behavioral beliefs about tastiness of the food had a strong effect on intention to consume, that is, the sum of path-coefficients ranged from 0.32 for margarine to 0.71 for semiskimmed milk; the effect of the belief good/bad for figure was considerably lower (0.00-0.32); and the belief about prevention of heart disease had little effect (-0.00-0.12) on intention to consume the foods. This suggests that short-term rewards (taste) are more important than medium-term rewards (figure) and long term (heart disease)