Pulse and quasi-static remagnetization peculiarities and relaxation properties of Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3 single crystal

• Relaxation of magnetization and resistance have been studied.
• The mechanism of phase transitions below 150 K is proposed.
• Reasons for preservation of high conductive state are identified.

Hysteresis features of magnetization and resistance of Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3 single crystal in quasi-static (up to 9 T) and pulse (up to 14 T) magnetic fields are studied. The relaxation processes of magnetization and resistance after the action of a magnetic field of 9 T are also studied. It is shown that relaxation curves are approximated by two exponents with different time constants. These two constants relate to relaxation of the metastable ferromagnetic phase towards two different crystal structures (Imma and p21/m). Mechanism of phase transitions: antiferromagnetic insulator↔ferromagnetic metal (AFM/I↔FM/M) and existence of a high-conductive state of a sample after removal of magnetizing field in the temperature range below 150 K is proposed. The mechanism is connected with structural transition induced by magnetic field (due to magnetostriction) and slow relaxation of the FM-phase (larger volume) to the equilibrium AFM-phase (smaller volume) after field removal. It is shown that during pulse magnetization at the temperature 18 K time required for the AFM/I→FM/M phase transition is by six–seven orders of magnitude less than for realization of the FM/M→AFM/I phase transition.