Low field magnetotransport in manganites

The perovskite manganites with generic formula RE1−xAExMnO3 (RE = rare earth, AE = Ca, Sr, Ba and Pb) have drawn considerable attention, especially following the discovery of colossal magnetoresistance (CMR). The most fundamental property of these materials is strong correlation between structure, transport and magnetic properties. They exhibit extraordinary large magnetoresistance named CMR in the vicinity of the insulator–metal/paramagnetic–ferromagnetic transition at relatively large applied magnetic fields. However, for applied aspects, occurrence of significant CMR at low applied magnetic fields would be required. This review consists of two sections: in the first section we have extensively reviewed the salient features, e.g. structure, phase diagram, double-exchange mechanism, Jahn–Teller effect, different types of ordering and phase separation of CMR manganites. The second is devoted to an overview of experimental results on CMR and related magnetotransport characteristics at low magnetic fields for various doped manganites having natural grain boundaries such as polycrystalline, nanocrystalline bulk and films, manganite-based composites and intrinsically layered manganites, and artificial grain boundaries such as bicrystal, step-edge and laser-patterned junctions. Some other potential magnetoresistive materials, e.g. pyrochlores, chalcogenides, ruthenates, diluted magnetic semiconductors, magnetic tunnel junctions, nanocontacts etc, are also briefly dealt with. The review concludes with an overview of grain-boundary-induced low field magnetotransport behavior and prospects for possible applications.