Effect of PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 thin layer on structure, electronic and magnetic properties of La0.65Sr0.35MnO3 and La0.65Ca0.30MnO3 thin-films

Epitaxial thin film heterostructures of high dielectric PbZr1-xTixO3 (PZT) and La(1-x)A(x)MnO(3) (A-divalent alkaline earth metals such as Sr (LSMO) and Ca (LCMO)) were grown on SrTiO3 substrates and their structure, temperature dependence of electrical resistivity, and magnetization were investigated as a function of the thickness of the LSMO(LCMO) layer. The microstructures of the samples were analyzed by TEM. By applying an electric field across the PZT layer, we applied a ferrodistortive pressure on the manganite layer and studied the correlations between lattice distortion and electric transport and magnetic properties of the CMR materials. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3592660]