Direct evidence of phase coexistence in La0.5Ca0.5MnO3

There has been accumulating evidence (Mathur, Solid State Commun. 119 (2001) 271) that a charge ordered antiferromagnetic phase can coexist with a metallic ferromagnetic phase in the mixed valent manganites. We have used electron holography to show that micron sized fully ferromagnetic and non-ferromagnetic phases coexist at 90 K in La0.5Ca0.5MnO3. Dark field imaging and selected area diffraction were used in combination to show that charge order occurs in both non-ferromagnetic and ferromagnetic regions. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.