In-plane magnetic anisotropy and magnetization reversal in phase-separated (La0.5Pr0.5)0.625Ca0.375MnO3 thin films

The dynamics and interaction of different electronic phases near the metal-to-insulator transition of the phase-separated (La0.5Pr0.5)0.625Ca0.375MnO3 (LPCMO) thin film grown on NGO substrate was studied using the first-order reversal curves (FORC) diagram method for electric transport measurements. The in-plane angle-dependent remanence and coercivity field in the region of the ferromagnet metallic phase was measured using the macroscopic magnetization technique. These measurements suggest an in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy for the film with a uniaxial anisotropic constant (Ku) of -1.2 x 106 erg/cm3 at 20 K. The angle dependence of the coercivity is best described by 1/cos theta dependence indicating that the magnetization reversal occurs mainly through the depinning of the domain wall, a signature of nucleation and propagation mechanism. The correlation of FORC measurements, resistance relaxation, and macroscopic magnetic measurements indicate a fast reversal of electronic and magnetic phases towards the denser phase region and strong interaction of different phases for the LPCMO system.