Novel phase transitions in B-site doped manganites

We have examined the infrared reflectivity and the electrical resistivity of La 1-x [Sr(Ba)] x Mn 1-z [Cu(Zn)] z O 3 samples in ferromagnetic metallic and insulator regime. Several phase transitions are observed, the most obvious being the transition from a ferromagnetic metallic to a ferromagnetic insulator phase that is related to the formation of short-range orbitally ordered domains. The temperature T 1 of the phase transition is dependent on doping concentration and for optimally doped samples (∼32% of Mn 4+ ions) we have found T 1 0.93 T C .