Thickness dependent phase separation in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 films

The complex dielectric function of La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 films with various thicknesses and on different substrates was determined by the analysis of measured ellipsometric parameters. The temperature-dependent redistribution of low-energy spectral weight shows that the metallicity is developed gradually below an onset temperature that is found to depend strongly on global and local strain properties, not on film thickness alone. Importantly, the 2 nm film shows no metallic conduction but an optical charge-carrier response below 240 K. This suggests that ultrathin films are characterized by phase separation and a percolation-type transition. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.