Metal-insulator transition in CMR materials

Abstract

We report on resistivity measurements in La$_{0.67}$Ca$_{0.33}$MnO$_{3}$ and Nd$_{0.7}$Sr$_{0.3}$MnO$_{3}$ thin films in order to elucidate the underlying mechanism for the CMR behavior. The experimental results are analyzed in terms of quantum phase transition ideas to study the nature of the metal-insulator transition in manganese oxides. Resistivity curves as functions of magnetization for various temperatures show the absence of scaling behavior expected in a continuous quantum phase transition, which leads us to conclude that the observed metal-insulator transition is most likely a finite temperature crossover phenomenon.