Current-induced persistent magnetization in a relaxorlike manganite

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${\mu }_{\mathrm{B}}$ 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.

4 pages, 3 figures