Abstract
The CE phase is an extraordinary phase exhibiting the simultaneous spin, charge, and orbital ordering due to strong electron correlation. It is an ideal platform to investigate the role of the multiple orderings in the phase transitions and discover emergent properties. Here, we use a cryogenic high-field magnetic force microscope to image the phase transitions and properties of the CE phase in a Pr0.5Ca0.5MnO3 thin film. In a high magnetic field, we observed a clear suppression of magnetic susceptibility at the charge-ordering insulator transition temperature (TCOI), whereas, at the Néel temperature (TN), no significant change is observed. This observation favors the scenario of strong antiferromagnetic correlation developed below TCOI but raises questions about the Zener polaron paramagnetic phase picture. Besides, we discoverd a phase-separated surface state in the CE phase regime. Ferromagnetic phase domains residing at the surface already exist in zero magnetic field and show ultra-high magnetic anisotropy. Our results provide microscopic insights into the unconventional spin- and charge-ordering transitions and revealed essential attributes of the CE phase, highlighting unusual behaviors when multiple electronic orderings are involved.
Highlights
Strong electron correlation in materials usually leads to complex and emergent phenomena[1], which provide a fertile ground for exploring new physics and hold great potential for applications
We report the real-space magnetic imaging of the magnetic transitions at TCOI and TN, and the CE phase in a Pr0.5Ca0.5MnO3 (PCMO) thin film
In high fields, very different contrast is expected for the two scenarios proposed for the magnetic anomaly at TCOI, which can be directly compared with the collected magnetic force microscope (MFM) images
Summary
Strong electron correlation in materials usually leads to complex and emergent phenomena[1], which provide a fertile ground for exploring new physics and hold great potential for applications. An AFM state at the surface of FM manganites has been observed, which is attributed to the enhanced spin-orbit coupling at the surface[34] It is still an open question whether there exists a bulk-surface correspondence in the magnetic or electronic states in strongly correlated systems. In high fields, very different contrast is expected for the two scenarios proposed for the magnetic anomaly at TCOI, which can be directly compared with the collected MFM images. This will enable us to reveal some important high-field features of the surface magnetic structures
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