In doped manganites, the strong electron-phonon coupling due to the Jahn-Teller effect localizes the conduction-band electrons as polarons. This results in polarons are carriers responsible for transport and ferromagnetic ordering rather than the bar
e eg electrons, and sequentially polaron exchange model is emerged for describing ferromagnetic ordering. In Pr0.7(Sr1-xCax)0.3MnO3(x=0.3-0.6) epitaxial thin films, for higher-temperature paramagnetic state and lower-temperature ferromagnetic state, both the temperature dependent transports present behaviors of small polaron; for paramagnetic-ferromagnetic transition, the experimental data of Curie temperature are well described by an energy balance expression induced by polaron exchange model. These results demonstrate that the polaron models are proper ways to describe the strongly correlated electrons in the doped manganites.
Charge carrier injection performed in Pr0.7Ca0.3MnO3 (PCMO) hetero-structure junctions exhibits stable without electric fields and dramatic changes in both resistances and interface barriers, which are entirely different from behaviors of semiconduct
or devices. Disappearance and reversion of interface barriers suggest that the adjustable resistance switching of such hetero-structure oxide devices should associate with motion of charge carriers across interfaces. The results suggested that injected carriers should be still staying in devices and resulted in changes in properties, which guided to a carrier self-trapping and releasing picture in strongly correlated electronic framework. Observations in PCMO and oxygen deficient CeO2 devices show that oxides as functional materials could be used in microelectronics with some novel properties, in which interface is very important.
