Charge ordering in the electron doped Ca1−xYxMnO3 manganites

Structural studies on the electron doped Ca_1−xY_xMnO₃ are presented. At 300 K, orthorhombic O-phase was observed in all cases, associated to low electric resistivity and high Curie–Weiss temperature. For samples with x>0.07, structural phase transitions to more distorted orthorhombic and monoclinic phases were found at T<170K. In these phases only weak ferromagnetic interactions were observed.     

A new interpretation of the CO state in half-doped manganites: new results from neutron diffraction and synchrotron radiation experiments

In the R_1−xD_xMnO₃ (x0.5) manganites, the structural phase transition at T_CO is commonly interpreted as a concomitant charge and orbital ordering (CO/OO) process driven by a co-operative Jahn–Teller effect and Coulomb repulsion forces. The low-temperature phase is supposed to contain well-separated and ordered Mn³⁺ and Mn⁴⁺ ionic species in an NaCl-like pattern. Structure refinement, from a neutron diffraction experiment below T_CO on a Pr_0.6Ca_0.4MnO₃ single crystal, gives us a model for the displacement of atoms with respect to the high-temperature phase that invalidates the standard model based in the CO/OO picture. Our result is a non-centrosymmetric crystal structure with two non-equivalent MnO₆ octahedra, both being slightly elongated but displaying very similar average Mn–O distances (1.96 and 1.95 Å, respectively) and having off-centered Mn atoms. We argue that this is a proof of the absence of charge ordering in half-doped manganites in the sense of formation of separated Mn³⁺ and Mn⁴⁺ ionic species. A new qualitative interpretation of the CE-type spin ordering (SO) is proposed. The so-called CO transition is, in fact, a structural transition induced by the change in the mean free path of electrons that continue to be thermally activated below T_CO by forming ferromagnetic Mn–Mn pairs stabilized by a local double-exchange process. The CE SO pattern results from the ordering of these pairs formed at T_CO. High-resolution synchrotron powder diffraction shows a complex anisotropic/asymmetric strains appearing at the transition that can be phenomenologically fitted by additional phases. Complementary electron diffraction and microscopy have shown no trace of macroscopic phase separation.     

Elastic behavior of neodymium based manganites

With a view to investigate the elastic behavior of Nd_0.67A_0.33MnO₃ (where A = Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb) manganite system, the samples were prepared by the sol gel method. After characterizing the samples structurally, a systematic investigation of ultrasonic longitudinal and transverse sound velocities of all the samples was undertaken by pulse transmission technique in the temperature range, 100-300 K. It has been found that all the elasticity parameters, including Debye temperature, are found to increase continuously with increasing ionic radii of the dopant ion. All the samples are also found to exhibit anomalies in both the longitudinal and transverse velocities near their ferro to para magnetic transition (T_C) temperatures. Apart from this, Nd_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ sample is also found to exhibit, a transition at its charge ordering temperature (T_co). An explanation for the observed elastic anomalies based on a mean field theory has been given.     

Phase separation, percolation and giant isotope effect in manganites

Phase separation and a tendency to form inhomogeneous structures seems to be a generic property of systems with strongly correlated electrons. After shortly summarising the existing theoretical results in this direction, I concentrate on the phenomena in doped manganites. I discuss general theoretical results on the phase separation at small doping and close to the doping x=0.5. The “global” phase diagram in this region is constructed. These general results are illustrated on the example of the particular system with rich and complicated properties — (LaPr)_1−xCa_xMnO₃, in which there exist a ferromagnetic metallic (FM) phase and a charge ordered (CO) insulating one. The experimental situation in this system is discussed and the interpretation is given in the framework of the model with competition of FM and CO, and the indications of phase separation and percolative nature of this system are given. The giant isotope effect observed in this situation is shortly discussed.     

掺杂锰基氧化物中的相分离和渗流效应

目前，相分离仍是锰基氧化物超大磁电阻材料研究的热点，渗流效应假设已广泛用于解释其电输运特性．作者用变温磁力显微镜首次在La0.33Pr0.34Ca0.33MnO3薄膜中直接观察到了渗流过程，微观上证明了渗流效应假设的正确性．实验发现，降温过程中电阻率的陡降是铁磁金属相的渗流效应引起的，升温过程中电阻率的上升，则是由导电路径上磁畴的磁化强度随温度的升高而降低引起的，而导电路径一直存在．微观的磁回滞和宏观的电阻回滞相吻合．当然要定量解释锰氧化物中的超大磁电阻效应还需要做大量的理论和实验工作．     

Ferromagnetic spin fluctuations in antiferromagnetic Pr1−xCaxMnO3: An ESR study

Electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements have been performed on polycrystalline samples of Pr_1−xCa_xMnO₃ (x=0.4, 0.5) in the temperature range of 100-300 K. The temperature dependence of ESR intensity, g value and linewidth shows the existence of ferromagnetic spin correlations in the paramagnetic state. With decreasing temperature, the ferromagnetic spin correlations switch to antiferromagnetic spin correlations in the charge ordering state and vanish at the antiferromagnetic ordering temperature T_N.     

Bond and charge ordering in low-dimensional organic conductors

We review 35 years of structural studies of quasi-1D organic conductors during which the concepts of 2k_F and 4k_F BOW and CDW have been elaborated. In strongly correlated quarter filled band systems these instabilities give rise to SP, DM and CO ground states. We relate these structural features to the instabilities of the 1D electron gas. To stabilize the different ground states the nature of the electron-phonon coupling has to be considered together with the coupling of the organic stacks with the anion sublattice. New results concerning the classification of the SP phase in connection with the adiabatic or antiadiabatic phonon field and its competition with the CO are also introduced.     

Ground state of the quasi-1D correlated electronic system BaVS3

In this paper we review the salient features of the different instabilities exhibited by the quasi-1D system BaVS₃ and show that there is a subtle interplay between the different phases stabilized. The analysis of the Peierls instability shows that the mobile dz² electrons are more localized than calculated because of their strong correlation with the localized e(t_2g) electrons. The complex AF magnetic structure of BaVS₃ incorporates the magnetization of the e(t_2g) electrons with the Peierls pairing of the dz² electrons into magnetic singlets. Finally, we propose that the zig-zag disorder remaining after an incomplete orthorhombic phase transition could change the sign of the magnetic coupling and thus help to stabilize the canted ferromagnetism observed in non stoichiometric BaVS_3−δ and Sr and Ba substituted compounds.     

Three-spin interaction Ising model with a nondegenerate ground state at zero applied field

The field-temperature phase diagram of a two-dimensional, three-spin interaction Ising model is studied using two different methods: mean field approximation and numerical transfer matrix techniques. The former leads to a rather rich phase diagram in which two separate phases with different symmetries can be found, and which presents first-order transition lines, a triple point, and a critical end point, like the solid-liquid-gas phase diagram of a pure compound. The numerical transfer matrix study confirms part of these results, but does not clearly evidence the existence of the less symmetric phase.     

Interrelation of the magnetic structure and the band insulating state in doped manganites

The interrelation between the magnetic structure and the band insulating state in doped La_{1 − x} Ca _x MnO₃ manganites has been discussed. An analysis of various zigzag chains has revealed that, in the one-dimensional spectrum of e _g electrons of these compounds, there always appear a number of band gaps, which at certain electron concentrations x support the formation of an insulating state in the corresponding three-dimensional antiferromagnetic structures. Apart from the well-known spectra of chains of the type (1 × 1) (magnetic E-structure) and (2 × 2) (magnetic CE-structure), we have obtained for the first time the spectrum of a (3 × 3) zigzag chain, whose three-dimensional unit cell contains 24 manganese atoms and provides a qualitatively correct fit to the magnetic structure of the La_1/3Ca_2/3MnO₃ manganite. As follows from our analysis, the formation of a magnetic structure in this manganite should also be accompanied by the generation of a spontaneous magnetic moment.     

Determining the magnetic ground state of TbNi5 single crystal using polarized neutron scattering technique

The TbNi₅ compound shows an interesting magnetic phase transition with an incommensurate structure below 23 K, whose true nature remains unresolved. In order to solve this question, we have carried out polarized neutron diffraction experiments by measuring temperature and field dependence of the intensities of satellites and Bragg reflections. From the temperature dependence of both satellite peaks and Bragg reflection, we demonstrated that it has only one magnetic structure at a given temperature. Furthermore, unlike previous reports, we found that both ferromagnetic and modulated components of the Tb ion magnetic moments should be collinear to each other. Our data also show strong depolarisation effects that are most likely to arise from domain structure of ferromagnetic component. A critical field, which destroyers a modulated magnetic structure is found to be lower than a field value to saturate the ferromagnetic component, in which the intensity of Bragg ferromagnetic reflections reaches saturation.     

Phase domain structures in cylindrical magnets under conditions of a first-order magnetic phase transition

The magnetic and resonance properties of cylindrical magnets at first-order phase transition from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic state were theoretically studied. It has been shown that in the external magnetic field directed perpendicularly to the rotation axis, formation of a specific domain structure of paramagnetic and ferromagnetic layers can be energetically favorable. The parameters of cylindrical phase domains as well as their dependences on temperature, magnetic field and material characteristics have been calculated. Peculiarities of the magnetic resonance spectra appearing as a result of the phase domain formation have been considered. Dependence of the resonance field of the system of ferromagnetic domains on magnetization and temperature has been obtained.     

Magnetic interaction in Mg, Ti, Nb doped manganites

An effect of Mn substitution with Me=Mg²⁺, Ti⁴⁺, Nb⁵⁺ in manganites has been investigated by preparing La_0.7Sr_0.3(Mn_1-xMe_x)O₃ and La_1-xSr_x(Mn_{1 - x/2}Nb_x/2)O₃ series. It was established that substitution of manganese with magnesium up to x = 0.16 leads to a collapse of a long-range ferromagnetic order whereas La_0.7Sr_0.3(Mn ^{3 +} _0.85Nb ^{5 +} _0.15)O₃ is ferromagnet with T _C = 123 K and exhibits a large magnetoresistance below Curie point despite an absence of four-valent manganese. Hypothetical magnetic phase diagrams are constructed for La_0.7Sr_0.3(Mn_1-xMe_x)O₃ and La_1-xSr_x(Mn_{1 - x/2}Nb_x/2)O₃. Our results show that Mn³⁺-O-Mn³⁺ exchange interaction is ferromagnetic in the orbitally disordered manganites as well as an increase of Mn⁴⁺ content above 50% from a total amount of manganese ions leads to formation of a spin glass state due to a competition between antiferromagnetic Mn⁴⁺-O-Mn⁴⁺ and ferromagnetic Mn³⁺-O-Mn⁴⁺(Mn³⁺) superexchange interactions. Received 24 January 2002 Published online 9 July 2002     

The dependence of surface tension of solid nanoscale films on their thickness

This paper presents a theoretical method to calculate the surface energy dependence on thickness of nanofilms based on the Landau theory. For the first time, it is shown that the surface energy of thin films having free surfaces is greater than the surface energy of macroscopic objects. For nano-objects having free surfaces, it is stated that their interior order parameter is always less than that of macroscopic solids of the same composition. It is obtained that the surface energy of thin films increases with decrease in their thickness passing its maximum meaning. A further decrease in the solid film thickness leads to a monotonic decrease in the surface energy.     

Strong,large distance impurity dipole interaction in KNbO3 single crystals

It is found that the unrelaxed impurity dipoles can arrange themselves linearly in the structure joining each other end-to-end in pseudocubic [110] direction at the tetragonal to the orthorhombic phase transition. It is shown that this alignment precedes the domain formation at the phase transition, which implies quick movements of the dipoles in the structure, and a strong dipolar interaction. The experiments with the application of dc fields to the crystals showed that the dipolar interaction becomes stronger with the field. The dipoles can see each other across the existing domain walls implying the large distance nature of the interaction. The observation of impurity clusters arranged in pseudocubic [110] direction confirmed the large distance nature of the interaction. It is concluded that this strong, large distance interaction is very interesting in as much as such an interaction of dipoles forms the basis of ferroelectricity.     

Two-step evolution of doping dependent antiferromagnetism and charge imbalance in multilayered cuprates

The properties of the charge imbalance and magnetism are investigated in the multilayered cuprates. The effective Hubbard constants are much reduced and show clear electron-hole asymmetry due to the screening effect. Phase diagrams are obtained, which may give the clue to search for the self-doped cuprates. An unexpected increase of the charge density upon doping in the layer with minority charge is predicted. The antiferromagnetism follows a two-step evolution with respective origin in the layer with minority charge, in contrast to the conventional doping dependence in the layer with major charge.     

Spin-dependent transport in trilayer junctions of doped manganites

Trilayer junctions of doped manganites provide a model system for the study of spin-polarized transport across a half metallic interface. Novel phenomena observed in these systems include a large low-field magnetoresistance (MR), with nearly an order of magnitude change in junction resistance in 100 Oe at 14 K, and a strong temperature and bias dependence of the junction MR. They also enabled the first demonstration of a spin-angular momentum transfer-induced reversal of a magnetic moment. Systems containing both manganite and transition metal ferromagnetic electrodes demonstrate a complex interface structure between the perovskite oxide such as SrTiO₃ and the transition metal electrode such as Co or Fe. It reveals the important effect this interface has on the magnetotransport property of the junction.     

Electric-field effect on shallow impurity ground state in nanowire superlattice

We have developed a variational formalism to analyze the effect of electric field on the donor ground state in a nanowire superlattice with cylindrical cross-section. The trial function is taken as a product of the free-electron ground state wave function with an envelope function that is a solution of a differential equation arising from the Schrödinger variational principle. We establish a close relationship between the donor ground state energy and density of charge induced by the unbound electron at the point of donor location. Also, we show that electric field applied along the crystal growth direction can easily shift the peak position of the free-electron density distribution from the central well toward one of the nanowire ends, providing a variation of the average electron-ion separation and a considerable alteration of the donor ground state energy.