Variety of LaSrMnO structures induced by growth conditions and laser irradiation

Abstract

Crystallographic phase transitions in perovskite-like LaSrMnO metallic oxides are studied. The transitions are induced when internal stresses generated during film synthesis (at temperatures between 450 and 730°C) vary (decrease or increase) upon subsequent irradiation by a KrF laser emitting in the UV range. As the synthesis temperature Ts grows, the rhombohedral-to-orthorhombic phase transition occurs at 650–670°C. The resistivity is shown to be either temperature-independent, ρ(T)=const, at T<Tcrit, or varies and reaches a maximum, ρ(T)=ρmax, at the Curie temperature Tc. Optical transmission spectra taken at photon energies ℏω=0.5–2.5 eV exhibit both a high (0.8–0.9) and low (0.1–0.3) transmission coefficient t, depending on the synthesis temperature. As follows from X-ray diffraction data, the laser irradiation causes a phase transition only in LaSrMnO films grown at Ts<650°C. Phases of different size scales appear: the long-range-order orthorhombic matrix and mesoscopic-range-order rhombohedral clusters are observed in the films grown at Ts=450–550°C and the rhombohedral matrix with orthorhombic clusters, in the films grown at Ts=550–650°C.