Non-volatile magnetoresistive memory in phase separated La0.325Pr0.300Ca0.375MnO3

P. LEVY, F. PARISI, M. QUINTERO, L. GRANJA, J. CURIALE, J. SACANELL, G. POLLA, G. LEYVA, R. FREITAS, L. GHIVELDER

PHYSICAL REVIEW B

American Physical Society

Año: 2002 p. 140401 - 140405

1098-0121

We have measured magnetic and transport response on the polycrystalline La5/82yPryCa3/8MnO3 average grain size 2 microns compound. In the temperature range where ferromagnetic metallic and insulating regions coexist, we observed a persistent memory of low magnetic fields that is determined by the actual amount of the ferromagnetic phase. The possibility to manipulate this fraction with relatively small external perturbations is related to the phase-separated nature of these manganese-oxide-based compounds. The colossal magnetoresistance figures obtained ~about 80%! are determined by the fraction enlargement mechanism.Self-shielding of the memory to external fields is found under certain described circumstances. We show that this nonvolatile memory has multilevel capability associated with different applied low magnetic-field values.