Magnetothermopower in La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 thin films

We have measured the thermopower S(T,H) and resistivity ρ(T,H) of laser ablated La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 films, as a function of temperature and external magnetic field. On heating, a metal–insulator transition occurs at temperatures below the resistivity peak, observed via a jump between a low T regime, where S∝T, and a high T regime, where S∝1/T. An applied magnetic field shifts the transition in a postannealed sample to higher temperatures, causing a giant magnetothermopower effect 100×(S8T−S0T)/S8T=−1400%. Both S(T) and ρ(T) are activated at high temperatures, but with significantly different activation energies. We interpret this as an evidence of small polarons at high temperatures.