title: Microstrain sensitivity of orbital and electronic phase separation in SrCrO3.
abstract: An orbital ordering transition and electronic phase coexistence have been discovered in SrCrO3. This cubic, orbitally-degenerate perovskite transforms to a tetragonal phase with partial orbital order. The tetragonal phase is antiferromagnetic below 35-40 K, whereas the cubic phase remains paramagnetic at low temperatures. The orbital ordering temperature (35-70 K) and coexistence of the two electronic phases are very sensitive to lattice strain. X-ray measurements show a preferential conversion of the most strained regions in the cubic phase. This reveals that small fluctuations in microstrain are sufficient to drive long range separation of competing electronic phases even in undoped cubic oxides.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Science at Extreme Conditions and School of Chemistry, King's Buildings, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ortega-San-Martin
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodgers
authors.forename: J Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Attfield
authors.forename: Gunter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heymann
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huppertz