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Visualization of Site- and Bond-Centered Charge Order in a Half-Doped Manganite

ORAL

Abstract

Charge order instabilities, the ordering of electrons and spins into periodic structures, occur in many classes of correlated quantum matter. Within a superlattice, charge-ordered states may have distinct electronic patterns and symmetries, however, distinguishing between them is challenging. In half-doped manganites, for instance, both site-centered (stripe) and bond-centered (bi-stripe) orders have been proposed. Using cryogenic scanning transmission electron microscopy, we map the charge-ordered structure in a Nd1/2Sr1/2MnO3 thin film by measuring picoscale periodic lattice distortions. We find two distinct ground states coexisting over tens of nanometers. The first is consistent with site-centered order. The second represents bi-stripes which remarkably are not purely bond-centered. The bi-stripes are intermediate between bond- and site-centered order and break inversion symmetry.



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Presenters

  • Ismail El Baggari

    Cornell University, Physics, Cornell University

Authors

  • Ismail El Baggari

    Cornell University, Physics, Cornell University

  • David J. Baek

    Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University

  • Michael J. Zachman

    Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University

  • Di Lu

    Stanford University, Physics, Stanford University

  • Yasuyuki Hikita

    Applied Physics, Stanford University, SLAC National Accelerator Lab.

  • Elizabeth Nowadnick

    Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Merced, Materials Science and Engineering, University of California Merced, University of California, Merced, Material Science and Engineering, University of California, Merced

  • Harold Hwang

    Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford University, Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Applied Physics, Stanford University, SIMES, SLAC, Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA, SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Physics, Stanford University, Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

  • lena Kourkoutis

    Cornell University, Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University