Phase Diagram in Manganese Oxides

Abstract

We study theoretically the phase diagram of perovskite manganites taking into account the double degeneracy of the $e_g$ orbitals in a $Mn^{3+}$ ion. A rich phase diagram is obtained in the mean field theory at zero temperature as functions of $x$ (hole concentration) and $J_S$ (antiferromagnetic interaction between $t_{2g}$ spins). The global features of the phase diagram is understood in terms of the superexchange and double exchange interactions, which are strongly depends on types of the occupied $e_g$ orbitals. The strong electron correlation induces the orbital polarization, which controls the dimension of the conduction band. A sequential change of the spin and orbital structures with doping holes is consistent with the recent experiments. In particular, metallic A-type (layered) antiferromagnetic state is found for $x\sim0.5$ with the uniform $d_{x^2-y^2}$ orbital ordering. Effects of the Jahn-Teller distortion are also studied. A short version of this paper has been already published (to appear in PRB-rapid June), but this paper contains additional and more detailed results.

REVTEX, 14 figures (figure 1 not available electronically).