The current-induced effect on the Jahn-Teller distortion in the La0.5Ca0.5MnO3 manganite

The influence of dc current on the resistivity ρ and the Young's modulus E of La0.5Ca0.5MnO3 compound has been investigated by means of an in situ measuring method. At low temperatures, both the resistivity ρ and the relative modulus ΔE increase with the current. A relaxation behavior of ρ to the higher resistive state is observed at a fixed temperature and a constant current. After storing the sample for a few days, ρ decreases with the current, accompanying a slight drop of ΔE at low temperatures. Current-induced effects on ρ and ΔE are interpreted according to the current-induced interwinning of Mn3+O6 octahedral distortion modes between Q2- and Q3-types, which is suggested to contribute to the variation of the resistivity.