Ferromagnetic clusters and superconducting order in La{sub 0.7}Ca{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3}/YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-{delta}} heterostructures

Journal Article · Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2006 · Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVB.74.224414· OSTI ID:20853962

Deen, P P ^[1]; Yokaichiya, F ^[2]; De Santis, A; Bobba, F; Cucolo, A M ^[3]; Wildes, A R ^[1]

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1. Institut Laue-Langevin, 6 rue Jules Horowitz, Boite Postale 156, F-38042 Grenoble (France)
2. Brookhaven National Laboratory, P.O. Box 5000, Upton, New York 11973 (United States)
3. CNR/INFM Supermat Laboratory and Physics Department, University of Salerno, Via S. Allende, Baronissi 84081 (Italy)

The existence of magnetic and superconducting order in a [(La{sub 0.7}Ca{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3}){sub 100{sub A}}/(YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-{delta}}){sub 100A}]{sub 10} superlattice has been studied by polarized neutron reflectometry, SQUID magnetometry, and resistivity measurements. The magnetization line shapes observed by SQUID magnetometry under zero-field-cooled and field-cooled conditions imply an inhomogeneously disordered magnetic state of the manganite blocks. This is substantiated by resistivity measurements and polarized neutron reflectometry. Resistivity measurements under field-cooled conditions reveal strong perturbations, which imply that the ferromagnetic La{sub 0.7}Ca{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} blocks contain strong magnetic disorder with perturbations coupled to the magnetic order via charge hopping between domains. Polarized neutron reflectometry under zero-field-cooled conditions, below the superconducting transition, reveal a noncollinear ferromagnetic structure, coherent across half the superlattice blocks. Across the superconducting transition, the noncollinear components are perturbed by the superconducting order and attempt to align with the dominant ferromagnetic order. Additionally, the magnetic correlation length increases from half the superlattice structure to a magnetic structure correlated across the complete superlattice. At temperatures above the superconducting transition, the noncollinear magnetic components and the magnetic correlation length relax to the structure observed below the superconducting transition.

• OSTI ID: 20853962
• Journal Information: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 74, Issue 22; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.74.224414; (c) 2006 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1098-0121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
BARIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CORRELATIONS
CUPRATES
DISTURBANCES
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
FERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
HIGH-TC SUPERCONDUCTORS
INTERFACES
LANTHANUM COMPOUNDS
MAGNETISM
MAGNETIZATION
MANGANATES
NEUTRONS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
SQUID DEVICES
SUPERLATTICES
YTTRIUM COMPOUNDS