Magnetic avalanchelike behavior in the disordered manganite (Eu_0.4La_0.1)(Sr_0.4Ca_0.1)MnO₃

Abstract

The half-doped manganite, (Eu_0.4La_0.1)(Sr_0.4Ca_0.1)MnO₃, has been found to exhibit sharp steplike metamagnetic transitions below 5K. The number of magnetic steps increases with decreasing temperature and this number suddenly rises from 3 at 2K to ~50 at 1.7K. The self-similar character of the multiple magnetic steps at reduced temperature identifies these steps as avalanchelike transitions. The occurrence of a multitude of magnetic steps at low temperatures, the decreasing effect of magnetic field sweep rate on the steplike metamagnetism, and the decreasing irreversibility of transition in the specific heat suggest that reduced spin-lattice coupling facilitates the transformation of antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic state via an avalanchelike behavior.