Magnetization measurement of single La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 nanotubes in perpendicular magnetic fields using a micromechanical torsional oscillator

Abstract

Using a silicon micromechanical resonator as a sensitive magnetometer, the authors have studied both experimentally and theoretically the magnetic behavior of two isolated ferromagnetic nanotubes of perovskite La0.67Cao.33MnO3. The article investigates the specific configuration where a magnetic field H is applied perpendicular to the magnetic easy axis of an isolated nanotube characterized by an uniaxial anisotropy constant K. In this situation, the magnetization M reduces the effective elastic constant Km of the resonator. This softening of the mechanical system is opposed to the hardening effect of M observed in a previous work, where H was applied parallel to the easy axis. Moreover, in this magnetic field configuration two distinct magnetization regimes are manifested, depending on the magnitude of H. For ⪢ 2K/M the magnetization is almost parallel to the applied magnetic field and for ⪡2K/M it is almost parallel to the easy axis of the nanotube. At a certain value of H there is a sharp transition from one regime to the other, accompanied by a peak in the energy dissipation.