Bond-length fluctuations in transition-metal oxoperovskites

Bond-length fluctuations in transition-metal oxoperovskites may give rise to two-phase fluctuations in what appears to be a single phase to a diffraction experiment. Orbital disorder at Jahn Teller ions results in bond-length fluctuations that give 3D-ferromagnetic, vibronic Mn(III)-O-Mn(III) superexchange interactions and allow disproportionation into Mn(IV) and Mn(II) in LaMnO3; where orbitally ordered and disordered phases coexist, an external magnetic field stabilizes the orbitally disordered, ferromagnetic phase relative to the orbitally ordered, antiferromagnetic phase. Spin-lattice interactions in the paramagnetic phase of charge-transfer compounds give bond-length fluctuations arising from the semicovalent component of the superexchange interactions. At the crossover from localized to itinerant electronic behavior, the coexistence of two-phase fluctuations has been demonstrated in both the single-valent RNiO3 family (R = rare-earth, A = alkaline-earth) and the mixed-valent R(0.5)A(0.5)MnO(3) perovskites. "Bad-metal" behavior is found to be associated with bond-length fluctuations. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.