Magnetoresistive memory induced by a hidden order

Magnetoresistive memory (MRM) is the dependence of a material’s electrical resistivity on its magnetic field history. Previously, it has been reported in only two classes of strongly correlated electron systems: perovskite manganites and pyrochlore iridates. In both cases, MRM emerges below the magnetic transition temperature, indicating a magnetic mechanism, namely metastable magnetic states in manganites [1], and conducting magnetic domain walls in iridates [2]. Here, we report an MRM of extraordinary magnitude in a weakly correlated semiconductor. Remarkably, the effect onsets at twice the transition temperature, excluding a purely magnetic mechanism. The temperature, field, and time dependence of resistivity suggest that a hidden order underlies the MRM.

References:

[1] H. Kuwahara, et al., A First-Order Phase Transition Induced by a Magnetic Field. Science 270, 961-963 (1995).

[2] E. Y. Ma, et al., Mobile metallic domain walls in an all-in-all-out magnetic insulator. Science 350, 538-541(2015).