An X-Ray Induced Structural Transition in La_0.875Sr_0.125MnO_3

TL;DR

This study reveals that synchrotron x-ray irradiation induces a persistent structural transition in La_0.875Sr_0.125MnO_3, destroying charge order at low temperatures, a phenomenon common to charge-ordered manganites.

Contribution

It demonstrates that x-ray induced structural transitions are a universal property of charge-ordered perovskite manganites, extending previous findings to La_0.875Sr_0.125MnO_3.

Findings

X-ray irradiation destroys charge ordering at low temperatures.

Charge-ordered diffraction peaks broaden more under x-ray exposure.

The induced structural transition is persistent but reversible by heating.

Abstract

We report a synchrotron x-ray scattering study of the magnetoresistive manganite La_0.875Sr_0.125MnO_3. At low temperatures, this material undergoes an x-ray induced structural transition at which charge ordering of Mn^3+ and Mn^4+ ions characteristic to the low-temperature state of this compound is destroyed. The transition is persistent but the charge-ordered state can be restored by heating above the charge-ordering transition temperature and subsequently cooling. The charge-ordering diffraction peaks, which are broadened at all temperatures, broaden more upon x-ray irradiation, indicating the finite correlation length of the charge-ordered state. Together with the recent reports on x-ray induced transitions in Pr_(1-x)Ca_xMnO_3, our results demonstrate that the photoinduced structural change is a common property of the charge-ordered perovskite manganites.