Nonresonant microwave absorption in epitaxial La-Sr-Mn-O films and its relation to colossal magnetoresistance

We study magnetic-field-dependent nonresonant microwave absorption and dispersion in thin La$_{0.7}$Sr$_{0.3}$MnO$_{3}$ films and show that it originates from the colossal magnetoresistance. We develop the model for magnetoresistance of a thin ferromagnetic film in oblique magnetic field. The model accounts fairly well for our experimental findings, as well as for results of other researchers. We demonstrate that nonresonant microwave absorption is a powerful technique that allows contactless measurement of magnetic properties of thin films, including magnetoresistance, anisotropy field and coercive field.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figure

Strain and correlation of self-organized Ge_(1-x)Mn_x nanocolumns embedded in Ge (001)

We report on the structural properties of Ge_(1-x)Mn_x layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy. In these layers, nanocolumns with a high Mn content are embedded in an almost-pure Ge matrix. We have used grazing-incidence X-ray scattering, atomic force and transmission electron microscopy to study the structural properties of the columns. We demonstrate how the elastic deformation of the matrix (as calculated using atomistic simulations) around the columns, as well as the average inter-column distance can account for the shape of the diffusion around Bragg peaks.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure

Local anisotropy in strained manganite thin films

We report on an angular resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy study of the local atomic structure around the manganese ions in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 thin films epitaxially grown on tensile and compressive substrates. Ab initio calculations provide strong support to the analysis of the experimental data and make possible the unambiguous derivation of a model of local distortion around the manganese atoms, without modification of the tilt angle Mn-O-Mn, among the octahedra. This distortion, tending to localize the charge carriers, is the driving parameter in the modifications of the magnetic and transport properties observed in thin films with respect to bulk systems. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.83173587358

Analysis of strain and stacking faults in single nanowires using Bragg coherent diffraction imaging

Coherent diffraction imaging (CDI) on Bragg reflections is a promising technique for the study of three-dimensional (3D) composition and strain fields in nanostructures, which can be recovered directly from the coherent diffraction data recorded on single objects. In this article we report results obtained for single homogeneous and heterogeneous nanowires with a diameter smaller than 100 nm, for which we used CDI to retrieve information about deformation and faults existing in these wires. The article also discusses the influence of stacking faults, which can create artefacts during the reconstruction of the nanowire shape and deformation.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures Submitted to New Journal of Physic

Anisotropic Magnetoresistance Effects in Fe, Co, Ni, Fe_4N, and Half-Metallic Ferromagnet: A Systematic Analysis

We theoretically analyze the anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) effects of bcc Fe (+), fcc Co (+), fcc Ni (+), Fe$_4$N (-), and a half-metallic ferromagnet (-). The sign in each ( ) represents the sign of the AMR ratio observed experimentally. We here use the two-current model for a system consisting of a spin-polarized conduction state and localized d states with spin--orbit interaction. From the model, we first derive a general expression of the AMR ratio. The expression consists of a resistivity of the conduction state of the $\sigma$ spin ($\sigma=\uparrow$ or $\downarrow$), $\rho_{s \sigma}$, and resistivities due to s--d scattering processes from the conduction state to the localized d states. On the basis of this expression, we next find a relation between the sign of the AMR ratio and the s--d scattering process. In addition, we obtain expressions of the AMR ratios appropriate to the respective materials. Using the expressions, we evaluate their AMR ratios, where the expressions take into account the values of $\rho_{s \downarrow}/\rho_{s \uparrow}$ of the respective materials. The evaluated AMR ratios correspond well to the experimental results.Comment: 17 pages, 12 figures, to be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn, minor mistakes corrected, final versio

Local structure in strained manganite thin films

We report on a polarized X-ray absorption spectroscopy study, combining experimental measurements and ab initio calculations, of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 films, epitaxially grown on tensile and compressive substrates. Measurements show significant modi. cations in the coordination shell around manganese atoms in the film plane for both substrates. We show that biaxial strain is locally accommodated in the coordination shell, by distortion of the MnO6 octahedron, without change in the tilt angle. The modi. cations of the near edge spectra were correlated to modi. cation in the average Mn-O bond distance and distortion of the MnO6 octahedra. This distortion tending to localize the charge carriers may account for the decrease of the Curie temperature observed in thin films with respect to bulk systems.T11558959