Strain-mediated electric-field control of resistance in the La0.85Sr0.15MnO3/0.7Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.3PbTiO3 structure

The authors have deposited thin films of La0.85Sr0.15MnO3 (LSMO) on 0.7Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O-3-0.3PbTiO(3) (PMN-PT) single-crystal substrates and have achieved modulation of the resistance of the LSMO film by applying an electric field across the PMN-PT substrate whether the LSMO film is in the paramagnetic, ferromagnetic, or charge-ordered state. Piezoelectric measurements show that the electric field gives rise to a lattice strain in the PMN-PT substrate via the converse piezoelectric effect, which then induces a lattice strain and hence a resistance change in the LSMO film. Analysis of the data indicates that the electric-field-induced lattice strain effect dominates over the field effect in the LSMO/PMN-PT structure. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.