Comparative study of magnetic and magnetotransport properties of Sm0.55Sr0.45MnO3 thin films grown on different substrates

Highly oriented polycrystalline Sm0.55Sr0.45MnO3 thin films (thickness ∼100 nm) deposited on LaAlO3 (LAO, (001)), SrTiO3 (STO, (001)) and (La0.18Sr0.82) (Al0.59Ta0.41)O3 (LSAT, (001)) single crystal substrates by ultrasonic nebulized spray pyrolysis have been studied. The out of plane lattice parameter (OPLP) of the film on LAO is slightly larger than that of the corresponding bulk. In contrast, the OPLP of the films on STO and LSAT are slightly smaller than the corresponding bulk value. This suggests that the film on LAO is under compressive strain while LSAT and STO are under tensile strain. The films on LAO and LSAT show simultaneous paramagnetic-ferromagnetic (PM–FM) and insulator-metal transition (IMT) temperature at TC/TIM ∼ 165 K and 130 K, respectively. The PM–FM and IM transition occur at TC ∼ 120 K and TIM ∼ 105 K, respectively in the film on STO substrate. At T < TC, the zero field cooled–field cooled (ZFC–FC) magnetization of all the films shows strong bifurcation. This suggests the presence of a metamagnetic state akin to cluster glass formed due to coexisting FM and antiferromagnetic–charge order (AFM–CO) clusters. All the films show colossal magnetoresistance but its temperature and magnetic field dependence are drastically different. The films on LAO and STO show peak CMR around TC/TIM, while the film on LSAT shows MR > 99 % over a very wide temperature range of ∼40 K centred on TC/TIM. In the lower temperature region the magnetic field dependent isothermal resistivity also shows signature of metamagnetic transitions. The observed results have been explained in terms of the variation of the relative fractions of the coexisting FM and AFM–CO phases as a function of the substrate induced strain and oxygen vacancy induced quenched disorder.