Non-volatile magnetoresistive memory in phase separated La$_{0.325}$Pr$_{0.300}$Ca$_{0.375}$MnO$_3$

Abstract

We have measured magnetic and transport response on the polycrystalline La$_{5/8-y}$Pr$_y$Ca$_{3/8}$MnO$_3$ ($y=0.30$, average grain size 2 microns) compound. In the temperature range where ferromagnetic metallic and insulating regions coexist we observed a persistent memory of low magnetic fields ($<$ 1 T) which is determined by the actual amount of the ferromagnetic phase. The possibility to manipulate this fraction with relatively small external perturbations is related to the phase separated nature of these manganese oxide based compounds. The colossal magnetoresistance figures obtained (about 80%) are determined by the fraction enlargement mechanism. Self-shielding of the memory to external fields is found under certain described circumstances. We show that this non-volatile memory has multilevel capability associated with different applied low magnetic field values.