Multi-ferroic La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 bilayers for electrical field-induced resistance modulations

Heteroepitaxial bilayers of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 on SrTiO3(1 0 0) have been grown by off-axis pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Both the ferromagnetic and the ferroelectric films are of high structural and functional (magnetic, ferroelectric) quality. A field effect transistor like device structure has been utilized for the investigation of electrical field-induced resistance modulations of the manganite also showing colossal magnetoresistance (CMR). Such devices are known to show an electrical field effect of up to 20% at 300 K in ultrathin layers of manganites with lower doping level (10–20%). The resistance modulation of the La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 channel layers of d = 8–200 nm thickness is small at 300 K, with maximum value of 0.2% for d = 8 nm. The results are discussed with respect to the phase diagram of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3.