Magnetic field switching of the charge-density-wave state in the lanthanide intermetallic SmNiC2.

In the intermetallic SmNiC2, the ferromagnetic metallic state competes with the charge-density-wave state. We can switch the charge-density-wave state by applying a magnetic field that is conjugated to the magnetization of the order parameter in the ferromagnetic state, and show the giant negative magnetoresistance. Under the applied magnetic field, the resistivity becomes one order of magnitude smaller than the zero-field resistivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]