Effects of ferroelectric polarization switching on the electronic transport and magnetic properties of La0.8Ce0.2MnO3 epitaxial thin films

Abstract

The authors report the electronic transport and magnetic properties of the La0.8Ce0.2MnO3 (LCEMO) thin film epitaxially grown on the ferroelectric 0.67Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O 3-0.33PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) single-crystal substrate and their dependence on the polarization state of the PMN-PT substrate. Upon electric-field-induced polarization switching, the electrical resistance and magnetization of the LCEMO film were modulated reversibly. The underlying coupling mechanism that is responsible for the electric-field-control of the resistance and magnetization strongly depends on temperature, being strain-mediated type at relatively high temperatures but becoming charge-mediated type with decreasing temperature. The knowledge about the evolution of the coupling mechanism with temperature not only helps to understand the drive force for multiferroic properties but also is important for theoretical modeling and device fabrication.