Nanoscale mechanical control of surface electrical properties of manganite films with magnetic nanoparticles.

Mechanical control of electrical properties in complex heterostructures, consisting of magnetic FeO nanoparticles on top of manganite films, is achieved using atomic force microscope (AFM) based methods. Under applied pressure of the AFM tip, drop of the electrical conductivity is observed inducing an electrically insulating state upon a critical normal load. Current and surface potential maps suggest that the switching process is mainly governed by the flexoelectric field induced at the sample surface.