Magnetic avalanche-like behavior in disordered manganite (Eu0.4La0.1)(Sr0.4Ca0.1)MnO3

The half-doped manganite, (Eu0.4La0.1)(Sr0.4Ca0.1)MnO3, has been found to exhibit sharp step-like metamagnetic transitions below 5 K. The number of magnetic steps increases with decreasing temperature and this number suddenly rises from 3 at 2 K to ~50 at 1.7 K. The self-similar character of the multiple magnetic steps at reduced temperature identifies these steps as avalanche-like transitions. The occurrence of a multitude of magnetic steps at low temperatures, the decreasing effect of magnetic field sweep rate on the step-like metamagnetism, and the decreasing irreversibility of transition in the specific heat suggest that reduced spin-lattice coupling facilitates the transformation of antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic state via an avalanche-like behavior.