Octahedral tilts and electronic correlations in La_7/8Sr_1/8MnO_3

TL;DR

This study uses resonant x-ray scattering to explore how octahedral tilts and electronic correlations interact in La_7/8Sr_1/8MnO_3 across a temperature range, revealing a strong coupling between lattice distortions and electronic states.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed analysis of octahedral tilt order and its coupling with electronic properties in La_7/8Sr_1/8MnO_3 using resonant x-ray scattering and theoretical modeling.

Findings

Octahedral tilts are temperature-dependent and coupled with electronic and magnetic properties.

Resonant scattering at the La L_II-edge effectively probes MnO_6-octahedral tilts.

Electronic and tilt degrees of freedom are strongly intertwined in this material.

Abstract

We present a resonant x-ray scattering study of the octahedral tilt order between 50K and 310K in La_7/8Sr_1/8MnO_3. At the La L_II-edge the resonant (300) reflection probes cooperative tilts of the MnO_6-octahedra in this material, as verified by a model caclulation as well as a LDA+U study. The investigation of the octahedral tilts as a function of temperature and the comparison to the lattice parameters, the magnetization and the superlattice reflections related to charge and/or orbital order reveal an intimate coupling between electronic and tilt degrees of freedom in La_7/8Sr_1/8MnO_3.