Abstract:
Magnetic interactions and phase transitions in the magneto-resistance (CMR) compounds La1-xSrxMnO3 (x=0, 0.1, 0.15 and 0.2) were investigated by neutron scattering using the Flat-Cone-Diffraktometer E2 (HMI Berlin).
The magnetic long range ordered phases were determined by the intensities of the magnetic Bragg reflections.
The paramagnetic short-range ordered phase were investigated by diffuse neutron scattering. An extended mean-field theory for the susceptibility χ(q) was fitted to the intensity distribution of a complete reciprocal layer. The magnetic exchange parameters for the double- or super-exchange interaction were determined as a function of temperature and magnetic field. For the analysis of the large amount of data, a software package, TVtueb, was developed.
The undoped LaMnO3 orders antiferromagnetically along the c-axis at low temperature. The exchange parameters determined from the diffuse neutron scattering in the paramagnetic phase corresponded to the long-range phase with Jc < 0 and Jab > 0.
In La0.9Sr0.1MnO3 at low temperature a canted antiferromagnet (CAF) and charge order was observed. The canted antiferromagnet disappeared at higher temperature transforming to a ferromagnetic order. In the paramagnetic phase ferromagnetic short range order (0 < Jc << Jab) was determined.
The compound with the largest CMR effect, La0.85Sr0.15MnO3, was in the low-temperature range a canted antiferromagnetic with charge ordering and at higher temperature a ferromagnet. The paramagnetic phase was analysed by one isotropic ferromagnetic exchange parameter J.
In La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 an isotropic ferromagnetic long and short-range order was found.
The fitted paramagnetic exchange parameters of all compounds increased approximately linear with temperature. This difference to the mean field theory was explained by a strong renormalization. The correlation length ξ was determined.