Giant discrete steps in metal-insulator transition in perovskite manganite wires

Phys Rev Lett. 2006 Oct 20;97(16):167201. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.167201. Epub 2006 Oct 17.

Abstract

Optical lithography is used to fabricate LPCMO wires starting from a single (La(5/8-0.3)Pr(0.3))Ca3/8MnO3 (LPCMO) film epitaxially grown on a LaAlO3(100) substrate. As the width of the wires is decreased, the resistivity of the LPCMO wires exhibits giant and ultrasharp steps upon varying temperature and magnetic field in the vicinity of the metal-insulator transition. The origin of the ultrasharp transitions is attributed to the effect of spatial confinement on the percolative transport in manganites.