Large low-field magnetoresistance in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 induced by artificial grain boundaries

A number of different compounds, such as those derived from LaMnO3, have recently been shown to exhibit very large changes (up to 106%) in electrical resistance when a magnetic field is applied1–4—a phenomenon known as colossal magnetoresistance (CMR). But magnetic fields of several tesla are typically required to obtain such a large magnetoresistive effect, thus limiting the potential for applications. Nevertheless the complex and intimate link between magnetic structure, crystallographic structure and electrical resistivity in CMR materials, in addition to being of fundamental scientific interest, appears to provide some scope for engineering a more sensitive magnetoresistive response. Here we elucidate the effect of specific structural defects on the CMR behaviour of the compound La0.7Ca0.3MnO3. We have made thin film devices that isolate the contribution of a single grain boundary that was introduced into an epitaxial film of the material by growing it on a bicrystal substrate. These devices display sharp resistance switching in magnetic fields orders of magnitude less than those normally associated with CMR. These results both provide insight into the role of grain boundaries, and demonstrate the potential for developing sub-micrometre magnetic field sensors based on the CMR effect.