Nanoscale magnetic structure of ferromagnet/antiferromagnet manganite multilayers

Polarized Neutron Reflectometry and magnetometry measurements have been used to obtain a comprehensive picture of the magnetic structure of a series of La{2/3}Sr{1/3}MnO{3}/Pr{2/3}Ca{1/3}MnO{3} (LSMO/PCMO) superlattices, with varying thickness of the antiferromagnetic (AFM) PCMO layers (0<=t_A<=7.6 nm). While LSMO presents a few magnetically frustrated monolayers at the interfaces with PCMO, in the latter a magnetic contribution due to FM inclusions within the AFM matrix was found to be maximized at t_A~3 nm. This enhancement of the FM moment occurs at the matching between layer thickness and cluster size, where the FM clusters would find the optimal strain conditions to be accommodated within the "non-FM" material. These results have important implications for tuning phase separation via the explicit control of strain.Comment: 4 pages, submitted to PR

In situ electrical characterization of palladium-based single electron transistors made by electromigration technique

We report the fabrication of single electron transistors (SETs) by feedback-controlled electromigration of palladium and palladium-nickel alloy nanowires. We have optimized a gradual electromigration process for obtaining devices consisting of three terminals (source, drain and gate electrodes), which are capacitively coupled to a metallic cluster of nanometric dimensions. This metal nanocluster forms into the inter-electrode channel during the electromigration process and constitutes the active element of each device, acting as a quantum dot that rules the electron flow between source and drain electrodes. The charge transport of the as-fabricated devices shows Coulomb blockade characteristics and the source to drain conductance can be modulated by electrostatic gating. We have thus achieved the fabrication and in situ measurement of palladium-based SETs inside a liquid helium cryostat chamber.Fil: Arzubiaga, L.. CIC nanoGUNE; EspañaFil: Golmar, Federico. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Escuela de Ciencia y Tecnología; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Llopis, R.. CIC nanoGUNE; EspañaFil: Casanova, F.. CIC nanoGUNE; España. IKERBASQUE; EspañaFil: Hueso, Luis E.. CIC nanoGUNE; España. IKERBASQUE; Españ

Coexistence of Paramagnetic-Charge-Ordered and Ferromagnetic-Metallic Phases in La0.5Ca0.5MnO3 evidenced by ESR

Throughout a complete Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) and magnetization study of La0.5Ca0.5MnO3, we discuss about the nature of the complex phase-segregated state established in this compound below T~210 K. Between TN<T<TC, the ESR spectra shows two lines characteristic of two different magnetic phases. From the resonance field (Hr) derived for each line we argue that the incommensurate-charge-ordering phase (ICO) which coexists with ferromagnetic-metallic (FMM) clusters in this temperature interval, is mainly paramagnetic and not antiferromagnetic. The FMM/ICO ratio can be tuned with a relatively small field, which suggests that the internal energy associated with those phases is very similar. Below TN, there is an appreciable FM contribution to the magnetization and the ESR spectra indicates the presence of FM clusters in an antiferromagnetic matrix (canted). Our results show that ESR could be a very useful tool to investigate the nature of the phase-separated state now believed to play a fundamental role in the physics of mixed valent manganites.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure

Giant and reversible extrinsic magnetocaloric effects in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 films due to strain

Large thermal changes driven by a magnetic field have been proposed for environmentally friendly energy efficient refrigeration, but only a few materials which suffer hysteresis show these giant magnetocaloric effects. Here we create giant and reversible extrinsic magnetocaloric effects in epitaxial films of the ferromagnetic manganite La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 using strain mediated feedback from BaTiO3 substrates near a first-order structural phase transition. Our findings should inspire the discovery of giant magnetocaloric effects in a wide range of magnetic materials, and the parallel development of nanostructured bulk samples for practical applications.Comment: 32 pages, 1 Table, 5 figures, supplementary informatio