Current-induced persistent magnetization in a relaxorlike manganite

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that electric current can induce a persistent ferromagnetic metallic state in a relaxor-like manganite, allowing bidirectional control of magnetization and resistance through voltage application.

Contribution

It reveals a novel current-induced persistent magnetization effect in a relaxor-like manganite, distinct from heating effects, enabling controllable magnetic and electronic states.

Findings

Current excitation creates a persistent ferromagnetic metallic state.

Magnetization increases by approximately 0.4 μB per Mn due to current.

Magnetization and resistance can be bidirectionally switched with voltage.

Abstract

A single crystal of 7% Fe-doped (La$_{0.7}$Pr$_{0.3}$)$_{0.65}$Ca$_{0.35}$MnO$_3$ shows up as a typical relaxor ferromagnet, where ferromagnetic metallic and charge-orbital-ordered insulating clusters coexist with controllable volume fraction by external stimuli. There, the persistent ferromagnetic metallic state can be produced by an electric-current excitation as the filamentary region, the magnetization in which is increased by ~0.4$\mu_{\rm B}$ per Mn. A clear distinction from the current heating effect in a magnetic field, which conversely leads to a decrease in ferromagnetic fraction, enables us to bi-directionally switch both the magnetization and resistance by applying the voltages with different magnitudes.