title: Weak charge-lattice coupling requires reinterpretation of stripes of charge order in La1-xCaxMnO3.
abstract: Modulations in manganites attributed to stripes of charge/orbital/spin order are thought to result from strong electron-lattice interactions that lock the superlattice and parent lattice periodicities. Surprisingly in La1-xCaxMnO3 (x>0.5,90 K), convergent beam (3.6 nm spot) electron diffraction patterns rule out charge stacking faults and indicate a superlattice with uniform periodicity. Moreover, large area electron diffraction peaks are sharper than simulations with stacking faults. Since the electron-lattice coupling does not lock the two periodicities (to yield stripes) it may be too weak to strongly localize charge.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science, University of Cambridge, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Loudon
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Attfield
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Littlewood
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Midgley
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Mathur