Kinetics of strain-related morphology transformation in YBa2Cu3O7- delta

Exploring mesoscopic physics of vacancy-ordered systems through atomic scale observations of topological defects

Vacancy-ordered transition metal oxides have multiple similarities to classical ferroic systems including ferroelectrics and ferroelastics. The expansion coefficients for corresponding Ginzburg-Landau-type free energies are readily accessible from bulk phase diagrams. Here, we demonstrate that the gradient and interfacial terms can quantitatively be determined from the atomically resolved scanning transmission electron microscopy data of the topological defects and interfaces in model lanthanum-strontium cobaltite. With this knowledge, the interplay between ordering, chemical composition, and mechanical effects at domain walls, interfaces and structural defects can be analyzed.

Relevance of cooperative lattice effects and stress fields in phase-separation theories for CMR manganites

Previous theoretical investigations of colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) materials explain this effect using a "clustered" state with preformed ferromagnetic islands that rapidly align their moments with increasing external magnetic fields. While qualitatively successful, explicit calculations indicate drastically different typical resistivity values in two- and three-dimensional lattices, contrary to experimental observations. This conceptual bottleneck in the phase-separated CMR scenario is resolved here considering the cooperative nature of the Mn-oxide lattice distortions. This effectively induces power-law correlations in the quenched disorder used in toy models with phase competition. When these effects are incorporated, resistor-network calculations reveal very similar results in two and three dimensions, qualitatively modifying previous scenarios and solving the puzzle.