Phase separation scenario for manganese oxides

Abstract Recent computational studies of models for manganese oxides have revealed a rich phase diagram, not anticipated in early calculations in this context. In particular, the transition between the antiferromagnetic insulator of the hole-undoped limit and the ferromagnetic metal at finite hole-density was found to occur through a mixed-phase process. Experimental data for manganites and other materials are consistent with this scenario. More recently, the influence of disorder on first-order transitions present in non-disordered manganite models has been shown to lead to giant cluster coexistence, as reported in several experiments. Inhomogeneities clearly regulate the physics of manganites. Here, a simple model is presented for the calculation of resistivities in the mixed-phase regime. The results are in excellent qualitative agreement with experiments.