A STRUCTURAL TRANSITION INDUCED BY A MAGNETIC-FIELD IN LA1-XSRXMNO3

There has been phenomenal interest recently in rare earth oxides of th e type R(1-x)A(x)MnO(3) (R = rare earth, A = alkaline earth) because o f their extraordinary electronic and magnetic properties. These includ e La1-xSrxMnO3 which exhibits a range of structural and magnetic trans itions as a function of temperature, pressure and magnetic field. The feature of greatest interest being the Colossal Magnetoresistance that these materials exhibit near the Curie temperature. We have performed neutron diffraction studies on a single crystal of La0.835Sr0.165 MnO 3. This has a ferromagnetic transition at 264 K and a structural trans ition from a rhombohedral to an orthorhombic structure at 296 K. Our s tudies show that by applying a magnetic field it is possible to revers e the structural transition below 296 K. By following a magnetic peak we observe an increased ferromagnetic alignment before this transition takes place. (C) 1995 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights r eserved.