Low-temperature specific heat in Pr0.63Ca0.37MnO3: Phase separation and metamagnetic transition - art. no. 224403

The application of a sufficiently large magnetic field in Pr0.63Ca0.37MnO3 can enforce a ferromagnetic state, resulting in an "insulator-metal" transi tion owing to both actuation of double-exchange mechanism and charge-order melting. In the present study, the low-temperature magnetoelectronic state of this compound has been investigated by specific-heat measurements. It wa s shown that the metamagnetic transition has clear signatures in specific-h eat data. Combination of specific heat, magnetization, and resistivity meas urements allowed us to propose a comprehensive picture of the hysteretic fe atures around this transition in the frame of a field-dependent phase-separ ation scenario. A more quantitative analysis also gave strong support to th e percolative nature of the magnetoresistive transition in this compound.