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Sliding charge-density wave in manganites

Nature Materials volume 7, pages 25–30 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Stripe and chequerboard phases appear in many metal oxide compounds, and are thought to be linked to exotic behaviour such as high-temperature superconductivity1 and colossal magnetoresistance2. It is therefore extremely important to understand the fundamental nature of such phases. The so-called stripe phase of the manganites has long been interpreted as the localization of charge at atomic sites3,4,5,6. Here, we present resistance measurements on La0.50Ca0.50MnO3 that strongly suggest that this state is in fact a prototypical charge-density wave (CDW) that undergoes collective transport. Dramatic resistance hysteresis effects and broadband noise properties are observed, both of which are typical of sliding CDW systems. Moreover, the high levels of disorder typical of manganites result in behaviour similar to that of well-known disordered CDW materials. The CDW-type behaviour of the manganite superstructure suggests that unusual transport and structural properties do not require exotic physics, but could emerge when a well-understood phase (the CDW) coexists with disorder.

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Figure 1: Variation of the differential resistance with temperature, demonstrating activated behaviour.
Figure 2: Variation of the differential resistance with current at different temperatures and with the current passed parallel and perpendicular to the superstructure.
Figure 3: Frequency and current dependence of the broadband noise.
Figure 4: Variation of the magnitude of the noise with frequency, temperature and field, with the current passed parallel and perpendicular to the superstructure.

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Acknowledgements

We thank N. Harrison, N. D. Mathur, P. A. Midgley, G. Kotliar and E. Rosten for helpful comments. S.C. acknowledges support from the Seaborg Institute. The sample was grown and TEM was carried out at the University of Cambridge, where research was financially supported by the UK EPSRC. This research was financially supported by the US Department of Energy (DoE) under Grant LDRD-DR 20070013. Work at NHMFL is carried out under the auspices of the NSF, the State of Florida and the US DoE.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Ms-E536, Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico 87545, USA

    Susan Cox, J. Singleton, R. D. McDonald & A. Migliori

  2. Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK

    P. B. Littlewood

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Correspondence to Susan Cox.

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Cox, S., Singleton, J., McDonald, R. et al. Sliding charge-density wave in manganites. Nature Mater 7, 25–30 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat2071

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