Abstract: The ferromagnetic phase of La0.6Sr0.4MnO3 thin films has been investigated through measurements of magnetization loops at different temperatures, zero-field-cooled and field-cooled magnetization curves obtained under different magnetic fields. We have found that the main sources of the “bulk” coercivity in manganite films are the film/substrate interface and film surface. The temperature dependence of the coercivity is described by a “strong domain-wall pinning” model, independently of the thickness and substrate. The magnetization-vs-temperature curves, measured under different magnetic fields (10 Oe<H<2.5 kOe), have been explained in terms of the magnetic hysteresis of the films. We find no evidence of glass states or of the existence of single-domain clusters, as suggested by other authors.

Abstract: The time dependence of the magnetic and transport properties on La0.6Sr0.4MnO3 films and bulk samples has been studied through magnetization and resistivity measurements. A magnetic after-effect has been observed in all samples. At low temperatures, the low-field magnetization, can be described by the function M(t) = M-c + M-d exp(-t/tau) + S(H, T)ln(t), The resistivity increases logarithmically in the same temperature range. indicating the evolution of the sample to a more disordered state. Above a characteristic temperature, this behaviour is reversed and an increase of the magnetization with time is observed. The relaxation parameters depend on the bulk or films character of the samples. In the latter case, a dependence on the film thickness was found. A direct correlation between the time dependence of the resistivity and magnetization curves in manganite compounds was found. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: The physical properties of superlattices are affected by interface disorder, like roughness and interdiffusion. X-ray diffraction allows its measurement through modeling and structure refinement. The high-T-c RBa2Cu3O7 (RBCO) and colossal magneto resistance La(x)A(1-x)MnO(3) (LAMO) perovskites are interesting superlattice partners given their similar lattice parameters and because the combination of magnetic and superconducting properties is interesting for both basic and applied research. We have investigated the structural and transport properties of YBCO/La2/3Ca1/3MnO3 and GdBCO/La0.6Sr0.04MnO3 superlattices grown by sputtering on (100)MgO. We find a roughness of 1 RBCO unit cell and a 30% interdiffusion in the same length from the interfaces for all samples. The superconducting behavior is found strongly dependent on the LAMO layer thickness. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: The structural and physical properties of La0.55Sr0.45MnO3/SrTiO3 superlattices grown by magnetron sputtering are studied. Two deposition temperatures and different mismatched substrates and buffer layers were used. The structure was determined by refinement through X-ray diffraction pattern fitting. The results indicate 1 unit cell (u.c.) interdiffusion at the interfaces and a 1 u.c. layer thickness fluctuation, i.e. roughness. In-plane hysteresis loops show the expected ferromagnetic behavior, while the perpendicular-to-plane hysteresis loops show anomalies which could evidence magnetic domain size inhomogeneities and stress. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: We have studied the structure, magnetic, and transport properties of manganite-based multilayers A/B-i, with A=La0.55Sr0.45MnO3 (metallic ferromagnet), and spacers (B-i) of different nature: B-1=SrTiO3 (nonmagnetic insulator), B-2=La0.9Sr0.1MnO3 (insulator ferromagnet), and B-3=La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 (paramagnetic-insulator/ferromagnet-metal). The samples are strongly textured in the direction perpendicular to the sample surface, and present a good interface quality with small roughness and interdiffusion. We have found that in the A/B-1/A trilayers, the ferromagnetic electrodes are ferromagnetically coupled for thin spacer layers and becomes decoupled for spacer thickness larger than 3 nm. Instead, the others multilayers are ferromagnetic for all spacer thicknesses and temperature range. This result was expected for temperatures well below the spacer Curie temperature. We attributed the ferromagnetic behavior of the system, found for temperatures above the ordering temperature of the spacer, to direct exchange coupling through short-range ordered zones in spacer layer. As expected from magnetization results, in fact, no extrinsic magnetoresistance was measured in these systems in the temperature range between 4.2 and 300 K. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.