APS » PROLA » Phys. Rev. Lett. » Volume 93 » Issue 9

Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 097202 (2004) [4 pages]

Direct Observation of Large Electronic Domains with Memory Effect in Doped Manganites

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D. D. Sarma *, Dinesh Topwal, and U. Manju
Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India

S. R. Krishnakumar
International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Strada Costiera 11, 34100 Trieste, Italy

M. Bertolo, S. La Rosa, and G. Cautero
Sincrotrone Trieste, S.S. 14 km 163.5 - in AREA Science Park, 34012 Basovizza, Trieste, Italy

T. Y. Koo, P. A. Sharma, and S.-W. Cheong
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, New Jersey 08854, USA

A. Fujimori
Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561, Japan

Received 11 June 2004; published 25 August 2004

We use a spatially resolved, direct spectroscopic probe for electronic structure with an additional sensitivity to chemical compositions to investigate high-quality single crystal samples of La1/4Pr3/8Ca3/8MnO3, establishing the formation of distinct insulating domains embedded in the metallic host at low temperatures. These domains are found to be at least an order of magnitude larger in size compared to previous estimates and exhibit memory effects on temperature cycling in the absence of any perceptible chemical inhomogeneity, suggesting long-range strains as the probable origin.


©2004 The American Physical Society

URL: http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v93/e097202
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.93.097202
PACS: 75.47.Lx, 68.37.Yz, 71.30.+h, 79.60.–i

* Also at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore 560064, India. Electronic address: sarma@sscu.iisc.ernet.in

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