Twinning microstructure and charge ordering in the colossal magnetoresistive manganite Nd1/2Sr1/2MnO3

Charge ordering (C.O.) in the colossal magnetoresistive (CMR) manganites gives rise to an insulating, high-resistance state. This charge ordered state can be melted into a low-resistance metallic-like state by the application of magnetic field. Thus, the potential to attain high values of magnetoresistance with the application of small magnetic fields may be aided by a better understanding of the charge-ordering phenomenon. This study focused on microstructural characterization in Nd1/2Sr1/2MnO3. In Nd1/2Sr1/2MnO3, the nominal valence of Mn is 3.5+. On cooling, charge can localize and lead to a charge ordering between Mn 3+ and Mn 4+. The ordering of charge results in a superlattice structure and a reduction in symmetry. Thin foil specimens were prepared from bulk samples by conventional thinning and ion milling (at LiqN2 temperature) methods. The room temperature TEM observation of Nd1/2Sr1/2MnO3 reveals that it contains a highly twinned microstructure, together with a small number of stacking faults (SFS). A figure shows the same area of the specimen at different zone axes obtained by tilting around two perpendicular directions as indicated. Three grains A, B and C are labeled for each of the zone axes. The room temperature EDPs from the matrix and twins shows an approximate 90degree rotation suggesting a 90degree twin orientation. These results are further confirmed by C.O. at low temperatures. The twinning planes can be determined by tilting with large angles