Influence of 90 MeV oxygen ion induced disorder on the magnetotransport in epitaxial La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 thin films

Epitaxial films of La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 have been irradiated with 90 MeV oxygen ions at different dose values ranging from 1011–1014 ions/cm2. The structural, magnetization, and magnetotransport properties have been studied as a function of the ion dose. It is found that the properties change gradually up to a dose of 1013 ions/cm2; however, drastic changes occur when the sample is irradiated at the higher dose of 1014 ions/cm2. Specifically, this sample exhibits a large, nearly temperature independent magnetoresistance in the low temperature regime. The Rutherford backscattering channeling data bring out the presence of defects in the irradiated films. The x-ray diffraction data, the temperature dependence of resistivity and magnetization, and the low temperature magnetic hysterisis data collectively indicate the presence of two different phases in the sample irradiated at 1014 ions/cm2. The surface morphology of this film, observed by atomic force microscopy, exhibits swelling, presumably due to subsurface clustering of point defects. The observed results are analyzed in terms of point defect induced random spin disorder and its effect on the magnetotransport properties.