Suppression of multi-level bipolar resistive switching in Ag/Pr0.7Ca0.3MnO3 interfaces at low temperatures

Resistive switching phenomena induced by electric pulsing have been investigated for several years as a result of interest in memory technology development. We investigate the viability of bipolar resistive switching at cryogenic temperatures by cooling a Ag/Pr0.7Ca0.3MnO3 interface and subjecting it to varying applied voltage amplitudes. Upon cooling, the switching phenomenon is suppressed until it is no longer observable below 175 K. Varying the applied voltage reveals the existence of several discrete resistance states, and the cooling trends across different samples and pulsing amplitudes are similar. Our results indicate that an alteration in space charge density is the origin of the switch, and the mechanism for this low temperature suppression is the reduced mobility of local oxygen defects in this active interface layer. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4768843]