Real Space Visualization of Competing Phases in La0.6Sr2.4Mn2O7 Single Crystals

Zheng, Qiang; Schreiber, Nathaniel J.; Zheng, Hong; Yan, Jiaqiang; Mcguire, Michael A.; Mitchell, J. F.; Chi, Miaofang; Sales, Brian C.

doi:10.1021/acs.chemmater.8b03589

Title: Real Space Visualization of Competing Phases in La_0.6Sr_2.4Mn₂O₇ Single Crystals

Journal Article · Mon Oct 22 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Chemistry of Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.8b03589· OSTI ID:1482431

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Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Materials Science and Technology Division
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Materials Science Division
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Science (CNMS)

Correlated quantum materials are expected to provide the foundation for the next generation of information or energy technologies. A key feature of these materials is the proximity of multiple ground states close in energy, which results in the ability to tune properties with small changes in an external parameter such as magnetic field, composition, or temperature. For example, the colossal magnetoresistance exhibited by manganites is related to charge and orbital ordering and results from a metallic ferromagnetic phase in proximity to a paramagnetic insulating phase. The presence of competing ground states, at the heart of the physics and functionality of these materials, often results in nanoscale phase separation. Probing nanoscale phase separation with conventional diffraction techniques alone is not adequate, particularly when the domains are small or nanosized. In the present work we use a scanning transmission electron microscopy image-based technique of picometer precision strain maps (PPSM) to directly visualize the competing nanoscale phases with charge and orbital ordering in a double-layer manganite. This work underscores the role of subtle structural distortions in determining the electron physics in correlated quantum materials and provides insights into designing new functionalities via spatially tuning multiple competing ground states.

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Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)