Interplane Tunneling Magnetoresistance in a Layered Manganite Crystal

Structural and Thermoelectric Properties of Gd2-2xSr1+2xMn2O7 Double-Layered Manganites

Double-layered manganites are natural superlattices with low thermal conductivity, which is of importance for potential thermoelectric applications. The Gd_2-2xSr_1+2xMn₂O₇ (x = 0.5; 0.625; 0.75) were prepared by the solid-state reaction method. All the samples crystallize in the tetragonal I4/mmm Sr₃Ti₂O₇ type structure. The unit cell volume and the distortion in the MnO₆ octahedra increase with increasing Gd content. Their thermoelectric properties were investigated between 300 and 1200 K. All exhibit an n-type semiconducting behavior. The electrical conductivity (σ) increases while the absolute value of the Seebeck coefficient (|S|) decreases with increasing Gd content. Simultaneous increases in σ and |S| with increasing temperature are observed at temperatures approximately higher than 600 K, and the power factor reaches a maximum value of 18.36 μW/(m K²) for x = 0.75 at 1200 K. The thermal conductivity (κ) is lower than 2 W/(m K) over the temperature range of 300-1000 K for all the samples and a maximum dimensionless figure of merit ZT of 0.01 is obtained for x = 0.75 at 1000 K.

SrV0.3Fe0.7O2.8: A Vacancy-Ordered Fe-Based Perovskite Exhibiting Room-Temperature Magnetoresistance

We report room-temperature (RT) magnetoresistance (MR) in a novel Fe-based perovskite, SrV0.3Fe0.7O2.8. This compound contains ordered oxygen vacancies in every fifth primitive perovskite (111)p plane, leading to a layered structure consisting of triple-octahedral and double-tetrahedral layers. Along with the oxygen vacancies, the transition-metal ions are also ordered: the octahedral sites are occupied by 100% of Fe ions, while the tetrahedral sites are occupied by 25% of Fe ions and 75% of V ions. As a result, SrV0.3Fe0.7O2.8 forms a magnetically striped lattice in which the octahedral layers with 100% of magnetic Fe ions are separated by the diluted magnetic layer. The compound exhibits weak ferromagnetism and shows a large negative MR (-5% at 3 T) at RT, despite the small saturation moment (0.4 μB/Fe atom). Thus, this type of layered compound is promising for further large MR by an increase of magnetization through chemical substitution.

Multiple magnetic phase transitions with different universality classes in bilayer La[Formula: see text]Sr[Formula: see text]Mn[Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text] manganite

Here, we report three magnetic transitions at 101 K (T[Formula: see text]), 246 K (T[Formula: see text]) and 295 K (T[Formula: see text]) in bilayer La[Formula: see text]Sr[Formula: see text]Mn[Formula: see text]O[Formula: see text]. The second order phase transitions have been identified at these transition points with the help of change in entropy analysis and modified Arrott plots (MAPs). The critical behavior around T[Formula: see text], T[Formula: see text] and T[Formula: see text] have been studied by MAPs and Kouvel-Fisher method. Based on these analyses four magnetic phases are: (1) 2D Ising ferromagnetic (FM) below T[Formula: see text],(2) 2D Heisenberg canted antiferromagnetic (CAFM-I) and FM clusters in temperature range T[Formula: see text] < T < T[Formula: see text], (3) 2D Heisenberg CAFM-II and FM clusters with non magnetically interacting planes in temperature range T[Formula: see text] < T < T[Formula: see text] and (4) paramagnetic for T > T[Formula: see text].

Hidden Charge Order in an Iron Oxide Square-Lattice Compound

Since the discovery of charge disproportionation in the FeO_{2} square-lattice compound Sr_{3}Fe_{2}O_{7} by Mössbauer spectroscopy more than fifty years ago, the spatial ordering pattern of the disproportionated charges has remained "hidden" to conventional diffraction probes, despite numerous x-ray and neutron scattering studies. We have used neutron Larmor diffraction and Fe K-edge resonant x-ray scattering to demonstrate checkerboard charge order in the FeO_{2} planes that vanishes at a sharp second-order phase transition upon heating above 332 K. Stacking disorder of the checkerboard pattern due to frustrated interlayer interactions broadens the corresponding superstructure reflections and greatly reduces their amplitude, thus explaining the difficulty of detecting them by conventional probes. We discuss the implications of these findings for research on "hidden order" in other materials.

Ion Substitution Effect on Defect Formation in Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Nitride Semiconductors, AETiN2 (AE = Ca, Sr, and Ba)

A layered semiconductor, SrTiN₂, has an interesting crystal structure as a two-dimensional (2D) electron system embedded in a three-dimensional bulk periodic structure because it has alternate stacking of a SrN blocking layer and a TiN conduction layer, in which the Ti 3d_xy orbital forms the conduction band minimum (CBM) similar to the SrTiO₃-based thin-film heterostructure. However, SrTiN₂ has been reported to exhibit nearly degenerate conduction, but we reported that it would be due to the easy formation of nitrogen vacancies and oxygen impurities from air. In this paper, we extend the materials to family compounds, alkaline earth (AE) ion-substituted, AETiN₂ (AE = Ca, Sr, and Ba), and investigated how we can suppress the defect formation by (hybrid) density functional theory calculations. All AETiN₂ compounds possess thermodynamic stability in the wide nitrogen (N) chemical potential window. Especially, CaTiN₂ is the most stable even against N-poor conditions. Unintentional carrier generation occurs due to the nitrogen vacancies (V_N), oxygen substitution (O_N), and hydrogen anion substitution (H_N) at the nitrogen sites. The V_N and H_N impurities can be suppressed under N-moderate and N-rich conditions. The O_N defect is easily formed in SrTiN₂ and also in BaTiN₂ under N-rich conditions, but its formation can be suppressed in CaTiN₂. Present results suggest that high-purity CaTiN₂ can be obtained under wider N chemical conditions, which would lead to the realization of the novel functional properties originating from Ti 3d_xy 2D bands embedded in the bulk crystal structure.

Magnetism in quasi-two-dimensional tri-layer La2.1Sr1.9Mn3O10 manganite

The tri-layer La\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{3-3x}$$\end{document}3-3xSr\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{1+3x}$$\end{document}1+3xMn\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{3}$$\end{document}3O\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{10}$$\end{document}10 manganites of Ruddlesden–Popper (RP) series are naturally arranged layered structure with alternate stacking of ω-MnO\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_2$$\end{document}2 (ω = 3) planes and rock-salt type block layers (La, Sr)\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_2$$\end{document}2O\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_2$$\end{document}2 along c-axis. The dimensionality of the RP series manganites depends on the number of perovskite layers and significantly affects the magnetic and transport properties of the system. Generally, when a ferromagnetic material undergoes a magnetic phase transition from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic state, the magnetic moment of the system becomes zero above the transition temperature (T\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$ _{C} $$\end{document}C). However, the tri-layer La\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{2.1}$$\end{document}2.1Sr\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{1.9}$$\end{document}1.9Mn\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{3}$$\end{document}3O\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{10}$$\end{document}10 shows non-zero magnetic moment above T\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$ _{C} $$\end{document}C and also another transition at higher temperature T\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$ ^{*} \approx $$\end{document}∗≈ 263 K. The non-zero magnetization above T\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$ _{C} $$\end{document}C emphasizes that the phase transition in tri-layer La\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{2.1}$$\end{document}2.1Sr\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{1.9}$$\end{document}1.9Mn\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{3}$$\end{document}3O\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{10}$$\end{document}10 not a ferromagnetic to paramagnetic state. We show here the non-zero magnetic moment above T\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$ _{C} $$\end{document}C is due to the quasi-two-dimensional nature of the tri-layer La\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{2.1}$$\end{document}2.1Sr\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{1.9}$$\end{document}1.9Mn\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{3}$$\end{document}3O\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{10}$$\end{document}10 manganite. The scaling of the magnetic entropy change confirms the second-order phase transition and the critical behavior of phase transition has been studied around T\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_C$$\end{document}C to understand the low dimensional magnetism in tri-layer La\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{2.1}$$\end{document}2.1Sr\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{1.9}$$\end{document}1.9Mn\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{3}$$\end{document}3O\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{10}$$\end{document}10. We have obtained the critical exponents for tri-layer La\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{2.1}$$\end{document}2.1Sr\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{1.9}$$\end{document}1.9Mn\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{3}$$\end{document}3O\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{10}$$\end{document}10, which belong to the short-range two-dimensional (2D)-Ising universality class. The low dimensional magnetism in tri-layer La\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{2.1}$$\end{document}2.1Sr\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{1.9}$$\end{document}1.9Mn\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{3}$$\end{document}3O\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{10}$$\end{document}10 manganite is also explained with the help of renormalization group theoretical approach for short-range 2D-Ising systems. It has been shown that the layered structure of tri-layer La\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{2.1}$$\end{document}2.1Sr\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{1.9}$$\end{document}1.9Mn\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{3}$$\end{document}3O\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{10}$$\end{document}10 results in three different types of interactions intra-planer (\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$ J_{ab} $$\end{document}Jab), intra-tri-layer (\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$ J_{c} $$\end{document}Jc) and inter-tri-layer (\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$ J' $$\end{document}J′) such that \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$ J_{ab}> J_{c}>> J' $$\end{document}Jab>Jc>>J′ and competition among these give rise to the canted antiferromagnetic spin structure above T\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$ _{C} $$\end{document}C. Based on the similar magnetic interaction in bi-layer manganite, we propose that the tri-layer La\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{2.1}$$\end{document}2.1Sr\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{1.9}$$\end{document}1.9Mn\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{3}$$\end{document}3O\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$_{10}$$\end{document}10 should be able to host the skyrmion below T\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$ _{C} $$\end{document}C due to its strong anisotropy and layered structure.

Antiferromagnetic fluctuations and charge carrier localization in ferromagnetic bilayer manganites: electrical resistivity scales exponentially with short-range order controlled by temperature and magnetic field

The compound La2-2xSr1+2xMn2O7,x= 0.30-0.40, consists of bilayers of ferromagnetic metallic MnO2sheets that are separated by insulating layers. The materials show colossal magnetoresistance-a reduction in resistivity of up to two orders of magnitude in a field of 7 T-at their three-dimensional ordering temperatures,TC= 90-126 K, and are the layered analogues of the widely studied pseudo-cubic perovskite manganites, R1-xAxMnO3(R = rare earth, A = Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb). Two distinct short-range orderings-antiferromagnetic fluctuations and correlated polarons, which are related to the magnetic and the lattice degrees of freedom respectively-have previously been discovered in La2-2xSr1+2xMn2O7,x= 0.40, and have each been qualitatively connected to the resistivity. Here, in a comprehensive study as a function of both temperature and magnetic field for the different hole-concentrations per Mn site ofx= 0.30 and 0.35, we show that antiferromagnetic fluctuations also appear at temperatures just aboveTC, and that the intensities of both the antiferromagnetic fluctuations and polaron correlations closely track the resistivity. In particular, forx= 0.35 we show that there is a simple scaling relation between the intensities of the antiferromagnetic fluctuations and the in-plane resistivity that applies for the temperatures and magnetic fields used in the experiments. The results show that antiferromagnetic fluctuations are a common feature ofLa2-2xSr1+2xMn2O7with ferromagnetic bilayers, and that there is a close connection between the antiferromagnetic fluctuations and polarons in these materials.

Etching of Cr tips for scanning tunneling microscopy of cleavable oxides

We report a detailed three-step roadmap for the fabrication and characterization of bulk Cr tips for spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy. Our strategy uniquely circumvents the need for ultra-high vacuum preparation of clean surfaces or films. First, we demonstrate the role of ex situ electrochemical etch parameters on Cr tip apex geometry, using scanning electron micrographs of over 70 etched tips. Second, we describe the suitability of the in situ cleaved surface of the layered antiferromagnet La_1.4Sr_1.6Mn₂O₇ to evaluate the spin characteristics of the Cr tip, replacing the ultra-high vacuum-prepared test samples that have been used in prior studies. Third, we outline a statistical algorithm that can effectively delineate closely spaced or irregular cleaved step edges, to maximize the accuracy of step height and spin-polarization measurements.

Layered perovskite LiEuTiO4 as a 0.8 V lithium intercalation electrode

Lithium intercalation into LiEuTiO4 with a 0.8 V potential plateau considering both the energy density and tolerance of lithium plating.

A Metal-Insulator Transition of the Buried MnO2 Monolayer in Complex Oxide Heterostructure

A novel artificially created MnO₂ monolayer system is demonstrated in atomically controlled epitaxial perovskite heterostructures. With careful design of different electrostatic boundary conditions, a magnetic transition as well as a metal-insulator transition of the MnO₂ monolayer is unveiled, providing a fundamental understanding of dimensionality-confined strongly correlated electron systems and a direction to design new electronic devices.

Anomalous Electronic Anisotropy Triggered by Ferroelastic Coupling in Multiferroic Heterostructures

The ferroelastic strain coupling in multiferroic heterostructures is explored aiming at novel physical effects and fascinating functionality. Ferroelastic domain walls in manganites induced by a stripe BiFeO3 template can modulate the electronic transfer and sufficiently block the magnetic ordering, creating a vast anisotropy. The findings suggest the great importance of ferroelastic strain engineering in material modifications.

Unconventional Magnetism and Band Gap Formation in LiFePO4: Consequence of Polyanion Induced Non-planarity

Oxygen plays a critical role in strongly correlated transition metal oxides as crystal field effect is one of the key factors that determine the degree of localization of the valence d/f states. Based on the localization, a set of conventional mechanisms such as Mott-Hubbard, Charge-transfer and Slater were formulated to explain the antiferromagnetic and insulating (AFI) phenomena in many of these correlated systems. From the case study on LiFePO₄, through density-functional calculations, we demonstrate that none of these mechanisms are strictly applicable to explain the AFI behavior when the transition metal oxides have polyanions such as (PO₄)³⁻. The symmetry-lowering of the metal-oxygen complex, to stabilize the polyanion, creates an asymmetric crystal field for d/f states. In LiFePO₄ this field creates completely non-degenerate Fe-d states which, with negligible p-d and d-d covalent interactions, become atomically localized to ensure a gap at the Fermi level. Due to large exchange splitting, high spin state is favored and an antiferromagnetic configuration is stabilized. For the prototype LiFePO₄, independent electron approximation is good enough to obtain the AFI ground state. Inclusion of additional correlation measures like Hubbard U simply amplifies the gap and therefore LiFePO₄ can be preferably called as weakly coupled Mott insulator.

Atomic scale studies of La/Sr ordering in colossal magnetoresistant La(2-2x)Sr(1+2x)Mn2O7 single crystals

To date, it is unclear whether chemical order (or disorder) is in any way connected to double exchange, electronic phase separation, or charge ordering (CO) in manganites. In this work, we carry out an atomic resolution study of the colossal magnetoresistant manganite La(2-2x)Sr(1+2x)Mn2O7 (LSMO). We combine aberration-corrected electron microscopy and spectroscopy with spectroscopic image simulations, to analyze cation ordering at the atomic scale in real space in a number of LSMO single crystals. We compare three different compositions within the phase diagram: a ferromagnetic metallic material (x=0.36), an insulating, antiferromagnetic charge ordered (AF-CO) compound (x=0.5), which also exhibits orbital ordering, and an additional AF sample (x=0.56). Detailed image simulations are essential to accurately quantify the degree of chemical ordering of these samples. We find a significant degree of long-range chemical ordering in all cases, which increases in the AF-CO range. However, the degree of ordering is never complete nor can it explain the strongly correlated underlying ordering phenomena. Our results show that chemical ordering over distinct crystallographic sites is not needed for electronic ordering phenomena to appear in manganites, and cannot by itself explain the complex electronic behavior of LSMO.

Competing exchange interactions on the verge of a metal-insulator transition in the two-dimensional spiral magnet Sr3Fe2O7

We report a neutron scattering study of the magnetic order and dynamics of the bilayer perovskite Sr(3)Fe(2)O(7), which exhibits a temperature-driven metal-insulator transition at 340 K. We show that the Fe(4+) moments adopt incommensurate spiral order below T(N) = 115 K and provide a comprehensive description of the corresponding spin-wave excitations. The observed magnetic order and excitation spectra can be well understood in terms of an effective spin Hamiltonian with interactions ranging up to third-nearest-neighbor pairs. The results indicate that the helical magnetism in Sr(3)Fe(2)O(7) results from competition between ferromagnetic double-exchange and antiferromagnetic superexchange interactions whose strengths become comparable near the metal-insulator transition. They thus confirm a decades-old theoretical prediction and provide a firm experimental basis for models of magnetic correlations in strongly correlated metals.

Observation of electronic inhomogeneity and charge density waves in a bilayer La(2-2x)Sr(1+2x)Mn2O7 single crystal

We employed a scanning tunneling microscope to image the (001) surface topography and local density of states (LDOS) in La(2-2x)Sr(1+2x)Mn(2)O(7) (x=0.32, LSMO) single crystals below the Curie temperature (T(C)≈120 K). The LDOS maps revealed a stripelike modulation propagating along the tetragonal a axis with a wavelength of about 16 Å, which is indicative of a charge density wave (CDW). The observed CDW in the x=0.32 sample is far from the Fermi surface nesting instability as compared with the data of angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy in an x=0.40 sample. The stripe model developed previously for cuprates can explain the observed CDW in our LSMO sample, indicating that competing interactions between localized and itinerant phases are the origin of the spatial modulations present intrinsically in cuprates and manganites.

Pressure-induced colossal piezoresistance effect and the collapse of the polaronic state in the bilayer manganite (La(0.4)Pr(0.6))(1.2)Sr(1.8)Mn2O7

We have investigated the effect of hydrostatic pressure as a function of temperature on the resistivity of a single crystal of the bilayer manganite (La(0.4)Pr(0.6))(1.2)Sr(1.8)Mn(2)O(7). Whereas a strong insulating behaviour is observed at all temperatures at ambient pressure, a clear transition into a metallic-like behaviour is induced when the sample is subjected to a pressure (P) of ~1.0 GPa at T < 70 K. A huge negative piezoresistance ~10(6) in the low temperature region at moderate pressures is observed. When the pressure is increased further (5.5 GPa), the high temperature polaronic state disappears and a metallic behaviour is observed. The insulator to metal transition temperature exponentially increases with pressure and the distinct peak in the resistivity that is observed at 1.0 GPa almost vanishes for P > 7.0 GPa. A modification in the orbital occupation of the e(g) electron between 3d(x(2)-y(2)) and 3d(z(2)-r(2)) states, as proposed earlier, leading to a ferromagnetic double-exchange phenomenon, can qualitatively account for our data.

Magnetoresistance in La0.5Sr0.5MnO2.5

Resistance measurements indicate the presence of magnetoresistance in the La(0.5)Sr(0.5)MnO(2.5) brownmillerite related compound. An 80 % of magnetoresistance is found at 75 K. In spite of the partial break-up occurring at the 3D network of octahedra sharing corners, characteristic of the full oxygen content perovskite phase, the oxygen deficient compound exhibits complex magnetic and electric properties. Such behavior can be explained on the basis of ferromagnetic and metallic clusters randomly distributed at the octahedral layers separated from each other by an insulating antiferromagnetic matrix. AC susceptibility measurements suggest spin glass behavior at low temperature as a consequence of the competition between different magnetic interactions.

Effects of Ru doping on the transport and magnetic properties of a La 1.32 Sr 1.68 Mn 2-y Ru y O 7 layered manganite system

The low temperature magnetization, specific heat, electrical resistance and magnetoresistance have been studied for the Ru-doped La(1.32)Sr(1.68)Mn(2 - y)Ru(y)O(7) (y = 0.0, 0.04, 0.08 and 0.15) layered manganite system. The undoped compound (y = 0.0) shows a sharp ferromagnetic transition (T(C)) accompanied by a metal-insulator transition (T(MI)) at 118 K. The Ru substitution decreases the T(C) and T(MI) temperatures significantly. The temperature dependence of specific heat measurement confirms the decrease in T(C) by observing the anomaly corresponding to T(C). The decreased effective moments from 3.48 μ(B) for the undoped compound to 1.82 μ(B) for the highly doped compound at 5 K indicates the Ru substitution weakens the ferromagnetic order in the low temperature regime and reduces the number of Mn pairs in the highly doped sample. The field dependence of magnetization measurements exhibits an enhancement of the coercive field with increased Ru concentration and gives evidence for the mixed magnetic phase for the highly doped compound. For the undoped sample, a large negative magnetoresistance of 300% at T(C) and 128% at 4.2 K in a 5 T field were observed. The magnetoresistance ratio decreases gradually with increasing Ru substitution. We find that the doped Ru in the Mn site drives the layered manganite system towards a magnetically mixed state. The effects of Ru doping in the transport and magnetic properties will be explained by the antiferromagnetically coupled Ru and Mn sublattices.

Surface-stabilized nonferromagnetic ordering of a layered ferromagnetic manganite

An outstanding question regarding the probing or possible device applications of correlated electronic materials (CEMs) with layered structure is the extent to which their bulk and surface properties differ or not. The broken translational symmetry at the surface can lead to distinct functionality due to the charge, lattice, orbital, and spin coupling. Here we report on the case of bilayered manganites with hole doping levels corresponding to bulk ferromagnetic order. We find that, although the hole doping level is measured to be the same as in the bulk, the surface layer is not ferromagnetic. Further, our low-energy electron diffraction and x-ray measurements show that there is a c-axis collapse in the outermost layer. Bulk theoretical calculations reveal that, even at fixed doping level, the relaxation of the Jahn-Teller distortion at the surface is consistent with the stabilization of an A-type antiferromagnetic state.

Lattice dynamics of orthorhombic perovskite yttrium manganite, YMnO(3)

The lattice dynamics of yttrium manganite (YMnO(3)) has been investigated by means of a shell model with pair-wise interionic interaction potential. The experimental data of crystal structure and Raman and infrared frequencies compare well with the lattice dynamical calculations. The phonon dispersion curves found along three high symmetry directions and the density of states of YMnO(3) have also been calculated from this model. The computed phonon density of states is used to derive the macroscopic thermodynamic quantities like the Debye temperature and specific heat. The crystal structure data computed from this model are in good agreement with the available experimental data measured by neutron powder diffraction. We have made a comparative study of the structures derived from the potential model calculations for both LaMnO(3) and YMnO(3). Symmetry vectors obtained through group theoretical analysis at the zone centre point were employed to classify the phonon frequencies obtained into their irreducible representations. The computed Raman and infrared frequencies have shown good agreement with the measured data.

Evolution of the inter-layer coupling in bilayered manganites revealed by ferromagnetic resonance spectra

Ferromagnetic resonance has been used to investigate the inter-layer coupling in a bilayered manganite La(2-2x)Sr(1+2x)Mn(2)O(7) (x = 0.38) single crystal. The coexistence of a ferromagnetic resonance line and a paramagnetic resonance line was observed over a broad temperature range. Antiferromagnetic coupling between the adjacent MnO(2) bilayers can be identified from the observation of an optical mode in the resonance spectra. Analysis of the temperature dependence of the resonance field and intensity reveals the evolution of the inter-layer coupling as a function of temperature. Our study suggests that ferromagnetic resonance provides a useful method for investigating the inter-layer coupling in bilayered manganites.

Low field magnetotransport in manganites

The perovskite manganites with generic formula RE(1-x)AE(x)MnO(3) (RE = rare earth, AE = Ca, Sr, Ba and Pb) have drawn considerable attention, especially following the discovery of colossal magnetoresistance (CMR). The most fundamental property of these materials is strong correlation between structure, transport and magnetic properties. They exhibit extraordinary large magnetoresistance named CMR in the vicinity of the insulator-metal/paramagnetic-ferromagnetic transition at relatively large applied magnetic fields. However, for applied aspects, occurrence of significant CMR at low applied magnetic fields would be required. This review consists of two sections: in the first section we have extensively reviewed the salient features, e.g. structure, phase diagram, double-exchange mechanism, Jahn-Teller effect, different types of ordering and phase separation of CMR manganites. The second is devoted to an overview of experimental results on CMR and related magnetotransport characteristics at low magnetic fields for various doped manganites having natural grain boundaries such as polycrystalline, nanocrystalline bulk and films, manganite-based composites and intrinsically layered manganites, and artificial grain boundaries such as bicrystal, step-edge and laser-patterned junctions. Some other potential magnetoresistive materials, e.g. pyrochlores, chalcogenides, ruthenates, diluted magnetic semiconductors, magnetic tunnel junctions, nanocontacts etc, are also briefly dealt with. The review concludes with an overview of grain-boundary-induced low field magnetotransport behavior and prospects for possible applications.

Electronic structure of the benzene dimer cation

The benzene and benzene dimer cations are studied using the equation-of-motion coupled-cluster model with single and double substitutions for ionized systems. The ten lowest electronic states of the dimer at t-shaped, sandwich, and displaced sandwich configurations are described and cataloged based on the character of the constituent fragment molecular orbitals. The character of the states, bonding patterns, and important features of the electronic spectrum are explained using qualitative dimer molecular orbital linear combination of fragment molecular orbital framework. Relaxed ground state geometries are obtained for all isomers. Calculations reveal that the lowest energy structure of the cation has a displaced sandwich structure and a binding energy of 20 kcal/mol, while the t-shaped isomer is 6 kcal/mol higher. The calculated electronic spectra agree well with experimental gas phase action spectra and femtosecond transient absorption in liquid benzene. Both sandwich and t-shaped structures feature intense charge resonance bands, whose location is very sensitive to the interfragment distance. Change in the electronic state ordering was observed between sigma and piu states, which correlate to the B and C bands of the monomer, suggesting a reassignment of the local excitation peaks in the gas phase experimental spectrum.

Two-staged magnetoresistance driven by the Ising-like spin sublattice in SrCo6O11

A two-staged, uniaxial magnetoresistive effect has been discovered in SrCo6O11 having a layered hexagonal structure. Conduction electrons and localized Ising spins are in different sublattices but their interpenetration makes the conduction electrons sensitively pick up the stepwise field dependence of magnetization. The stepwise field dependence suggests two competitive interlayer interactions between ferromagnetic Ising-spin layers, i.e., a ferromagnetic nearest-layer interaction and an antiferromagnetic next-nearest-layer interaction. This oxide offers a unique opportunity to study nontrivial interplay between conduction electrons and Ising spins, the coupling of which can be finely controlled by a magnetic field of a few Tesla.

Pseudorotation-driven dynamical structure of the tropyl radical

Despite intensive studies of the neutral tropyl radical, none of its structure, energetics, and vibrational modes are still clear. This system has puzzled scientists for over a decade since one vibrational mode frequency sharply varies from imaginary number 3000i cm-1 to the real number 6000 cm-1, depending on the calculation methods employed. We find that the origin of this peculiar mode is due to the pseudorotation (omegairot) involved in the interconversion of two nearly isoenergetic Jahn-Teller configurations (elongated structure 2B1 and compressed structure 2A2 with C2v symmetry). Here, we first report that this interconversion is not via D7h or C2v symmetry configuration but via Cs symmetry (i.e., by changing the C2v axis). This interconversion barrier is found negligibly small. Thus, the two conformers are considered to be not two different structures but a dynamically identical structure with partial quantum statistical distributions on the potential energy surface. Owing to the nearly barrierless pseudorotation, the overall structure in a short time scale (less than femtosecond) would be Cs-like between 2A2 and 2B1 configurations with small fluctuation of bond distances. However, the dynamical transitions between the 2B1 and 2A2 configurations via 14 different pseudorotation pathways would make the tropyl radical have the effective D7h structure in either a nonshort time scale (greater than femtosecond) or at nonlow temperatures, which explains the high temperature electron spin resonance experiments.

Vibronic coupling in benzene cation and anion: Vibronic coupling and frontier electron density in Jahn-Teller molecules

Vibronic coupling constants of Jahn-Teller molecules, benzene radical cation and anion, are computed as matrix elements of the electronic part of the vibronic coupling operator using the electronic wave functions calculated by generalized restricted Hartree-Fock and state-averaged complete active space self-consistent-field methods. The calculated vibronic coupling constants for benzene cation agree well with the experimental and theoretical values. Vibronic coupling density analysis, which illustrates the local properties of the coupling, is performed in order to explain the order of magnitude of the coupling constant from view of the electronic and vibrational structures. This analysis reveals that the couplings of the e2g2 and e2g3 modes in which the large displacements locate on C-C bonds are strong in the cation. On the other hand, they are greatly weakened in the anion because of the decrease of electron density in the region of the C-C bonds, which originates from the antibonding nature of the singly occupied molecular orbital of the anion. However, the difference of the electronic structure has a little influence on the vibronic coupling of the e2g4 mode. These results indicate that the vibronic coupling depends not only on the direction of the nuclear displacement but also on the frontier electron density.

Polarons and confinement of electronic motion to two dimensions in a layered manganite

A remarkable feature of layered transition--metal oxides-most famously, the high-temperature superconductors--is that they can display hugely anisotropic electrical and optical properties (for example, seeming to be insulating perpendicular to the layers and metallic within them), even when prepared as bulk three-dimensional single crystals. This is the phenomenon of 'confinement', a concept at odds with the conventional theory of solids, and recognized as due to magnetic and electron-lattice interactions within the layers that must be overcome at a substantial energy cost if electrons are to be transferred between layers. The associated energy gap, or 'pseudogap', is particularly obvious in experiments where charge is moved perpendicular to the planes, most notably scanning tunnelling microscopy and polarized infrared spectroscopy. Here, using the same experimental tools, we show that there is a second family of transition-metal oxides--the layered manganites La(2-2x)Sr(1+2x)Mn2O7--with even more extreme confinement and pseudogap effects. The data demonstrate quantitatively that because the charge carriers are attached to polarons (lattice- and spin-textures within the planes), it is as difficult to remove them from the planes through vacuum-tunnelling into a conventional metallic tip, as it is for them to move between Mn-rich layers within the material itself.

First-order metal-insulator transitions in manganites: are they universal?

Conductivity data for La(2-2x)Sr(1+2xMn2O7 (x = 0.6) show a first-order transition from an orbital- or charge-ordered insulator to a metal as the temperature falls below approximately 160 K. The change in conductivity is 100 times larger than that seen previously in any single-phase manganite in zero field. The metallic low-temperature state is similar to x = 0.58, but x = 0.58 shows no evidence of orbital or charge order. This result supports a conclusion that strongly coupled magnetic-conductive transitions are first order.

Field-induced ferromagnetic order and colossal magnetoresistance in La(1.2)Sr(1.8)Mn2O7: a 139La NMR study

In order to gain insights into the origin of colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) in manganese oxides, we performed a 139La NMR study in the double-layered compound La(1.2)Sr(1.8)Mn2O7. We find that above the Curie temperature T(C) = 126 K, applying a magnetic field induces a long-range ferromagnetic order that persists up to T = 330 K. The critical field at which the induced magnetic moment is saturated coincides with the field at which the CMR effect reaches a maximum. Our results therefore indicate that the CMR observed above T(C) in this compound is due to the field-induced ferromagnetism that produces a metallic state via the double exchange interaction.

Observation of magnetic ripple and nanowidth domains in a layered ferromagnet

We investigated ferromagnetic domain structures on nanometer to micrometer scale for single crystals of a layered ferromagnet, La(2-2x)Sr(1+2x)Mn2O7 (0.32 < or = x < or = 0.40), as functions of x and temperature by means of Lorentz electron microscopy. We have succeeded in observing the evolution of magnetic ripple structure, dynamically, related to a spin reorientation transition where the magnetization direction switches between parallel and perpendicular to the layers. Our high-resolution magnetic domain imaging revealed that the ripple state is characterized by the evolution of magnetic nanowidth domains.

Metallic ferromagnet with square-lattice CoO2 sheets

A single-crystalline film of Sr2CoO4 with square-lattice CoO2 sheets (K2NiF4-type structure) was synthesized, and its electronic properties were characterized. The compound exhibited both ferromagnetic and metallic behaviors, with a fairly high Curie temperature T(C) of approximately 250 K, in contrast to the superconductivity recently found in a triangular-lattice CoO2-sheet compound. The film's large magnetoresistance with current perpendicular to the CoO2 plane showed field-hysteretic behavior analogous to tunneling magnetoresistance. The electronic structure of Sr2CoO4 was also investigated to characterize the quasi-two-dimensional ferromagnetic metal state in terms of optical spectroscopy and first-principles calculation.

Field-induced ferromagnetic metallic state in the bilayer manganite (La0.4Pr0.6)1.2Sr1.8Mn2O7, probed by neutron scattering

The bilayer manganite La1.2Sr1.8Mn2O7 exhibits a phase transition from a paramagnetic insulating (PI) to a ferromagnetic metallic (FM) state with a colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) effect. Upon 60% Pr substitution, magnetic order and PI to FM transition are suppressed. Application of a moderate magnetic field restores an FM state with a CMR effect. Neutron scattering by a single crystal of (La0.4Pr0.6)1.2Sr1.8Mn2O7, under a magnetic field of 5 T, has revealed a long-range and homogeneous ferromagnetic order. In the PI phase, under zero field, correlated lattice polarons have been detected. At 28 K, under 5 T, the spin wave dispersion curve determines an in-plane isotropic spin wave stiffness constant of 146 meV A(2). So the magnetic field not only generates a homogeneous ferromagnetic ground state, but also restores a magnetic coupling characteristic of FM CMR manganites.

Direct imaging of temperature-dependent layered antiferromagnetism of a magnetic oxide

With the use of a newly developed spin-polarized scanning electron microscope, we have succeeded in obtaining the real-space images of the layered-antiferromagnetic state concurrent with 1-nm-stepped atomic terraces in layered-structure manganite La1.4Sr1.6Mn2O7. The three-dimensional analysis of spin alignment could further reveal the temperature-dependent spin reorientation and the anfiferromagnetic domain walls on the atomic terraces. These ensure the use of the present microscopy for quantitative analysis of local magnetic structures in a broader range of materials, including magnetic oxides and nanomaterials.

Anisotropic magnetoresistance in lightly doped La(2)-(x)Sr(x)CuO(4): impact of antiphase domain boundaries on the electron transport

Detailed behavior of the magnetoresistance (MR) is studied in lightly doped antiferromagnetic La(1.99)Sr(0.01)CuO(4), where, thanks to the weak-ferromagnetic moment due to spin canting, the antiferromagnetic (AF) domain structure can be manipulated by the magnetic field. The MR behavior demonstrates that CuO(2) planes indeed contain antiphase AF-domain boundaries in which charges are confined, forming antiphase stripes. The data suggest that a high magnetic field turns the antiphase stripes into in-phase stripes, and the latter appear to give better conduction than the former, which challenges the notion that the antiphase character of stripes facilitates charge motion.

Spectacular doping dependence of interlayer exchange and other results on spin waves in bilayer manganites

We report the measurement of spin waves in the bilayer colossal magnetoresistive manganites La2-2xSr1+2xMn2O7 with x = 0.30, 0.35, and 0.40. For x = 0.35 and 0.40 the entire acoustic and optic dispersion relations are well described by those for a bilayer Heisenberg Hamiltonian with nearest-neighbor exchange only, which is explained together with the spin-wave lifetimes by the double exchange model. The in-plane exchange depends weakly on x, but that between the planes of a bilayer changes by a factor of 4, directly revealing a change from mixed d(3z(2)-r(2)) and d(x(2)-y(2)) orbital character to mostly d(x(2)-y(2)).

Pressure-enhanced 3D antiferromagnetic correlations in La(1.4)Sr(1.6)Mn(2)O(7)

Pressure effects on the stability of magnetic phases in La(1.4)Sr(1.6)Mn(2)O(7) have been studied using magnetization measurements and neutron diffraction. At ambient conditions this material is a quasi-two-dimensional ferromagnet. On cooling it becomes ordered three dimensionally: at 90 K La(1.4)Sr(1.6)Mn(2)O(7) it becomes an antiferromagnet, and at 65 K it undergoes a transition into a ferromagnetic phase. Using neutron diffraction techniques on a single crystal of La(1.4)Sr(1.6)Mn(2)O(7) it has been shown that these two magnetic phases belong to a single structural phase and do not coexist at low temperatures. The application of pressure enhances the antiferromagnetic correlations between the Mn(2)O(9) bilayers.