Ultra-sharp metamagnetic transition in manganite Pr0.6Na0.4MnO3

We report the magnetic and electrical transport properties of manganite Pr0.6Na0.4MnO3. At the temperature of 2 K, a field-induced steplike magnetization and resistivity transition are observed. The step transitions of magnetization and resistivity are shifted to higher fields as a result of field cooling, and transformed to a smooth broad one when the cooling field is higher than 20 kOe. Moreover, in a magnetic field slightly below the critical field, the magnetic and resistive relaxation exhibits a spontaneous step after a long incubation time when both the temperature and magnetic field are constant. Such steplike transitions are discussed in terms of a martensiticlike transformation associated with phase separation.