Charge ordering modulations in a Bi0.4Ca0.6MnO3 film with a thickness of 110 nm

The low temperature sample stage in a transmission electron microscope is used to investigate the charge ordering behaviours in a Bi0.4Ca0.6MnO3 film with a thickness of 110 nm at 103 K. Six different types of superlattice structures are observed using the selected-area electron diffraction （SAED） technique, while three of them match well with the modulation stripes in high-resolution transmission electron microscopy （HRTEM） images. It is found that the modulation periodicity and direction are completely different in the region close to the Bi0.4Ca0.6MnO3/SrTiO3 interface from those in the region a little further from the Bi0.4Ca0.6MnO3/SrTiO3 interface, and the possible reasons for this are discussed. Based on the experimental results, structural models are proposed for these localized modulated structures.