Ferromagnetic microstructures in the ferromagnetic metallic phase of La0.825Sr0.175MnO3

Ferromagnetic (FM) microstructures in the FM metallic phase of La0.825Sr0.175MnO3 were examined by means of Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (Lorentz TEM) and small-angle electron diffraction (SAED). Microstructures of FM domains depend strongly on the crystal structures. The structural phase transition at 185 K accompanies with a drastic change of 180 degree FM domain structures from macroscopic wide domains to striped narrow domains. Lorentz TEM and SAED experiments revealed that a distribution of the magnetization in the striped FM domains is non-uniform and locally fluctuated. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3677684]