Theory of Orbital Ordering, Fluctuation and Resonant X-ray Scattering in Manganites

TL;DR

This paper develops a group theory-based framework to interpret resonant x-ray scattering data in manganites, revealing how orbital states and their interactions influence scattering patterns.

Contribution

It introduces a novel theoretical approach linking orbital correlations to scattering features using group theory and tensor analysis.

Findings

Elastic, diffuse, and inelastic scattering reveal static and dynamic orbital information.

Diffuse scattering intensity contours map orbital interactions and anisotropy.

The theory provides a direct method to analyze orbital states in manganites.

Abstract

A theory of resonant x-ray scattering in perovskite manganites is developed by applying the group theory to the correlation functions of the pseudospin operators for the orbital degree of freedom. It is shown that static and dynamical informations of the orbital state are directly obtained from the elastic, diffuse and inelastic scatterings due to the tensor character of the scattering factor. We propose that the interaction and its anisotropy between orbitals are directly identified by the intensity contour of the diffuse scattering in the momentum space.