Electrical current effect in phase-separated La5∕8−yPryCa3∕8MnO3: Charge order melting versus Joule heating

Abstract

We have studied the effect of electric field on transport properties of the prototypical phase-separated manganite La5∕8−yPryCa3∕8MnO3 with y=0.34. Our results show that the suggested image, in which the charge ordered state is melted by the appliance of an electric current and∕or voltage, has to be revised. We explain the observed resistivity drop in terms of an artifact related to Joule heating and the particular hysteresis that the system under study displays, common to many other phase-separated manganites.