Nanoscale Phase Separation and Colossal Magnetoresistance

The study of the spontaneous formation of nanostructures in single crystals of several compounds is now a major area of research in strongly correlated electrons. These structures appear to originate in the competition of phases.

This book addresses nanoscale phase separation, focusing on the manganese oxides known as manganites that show the colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) effect which has potential relevance for device applications. It is argued that the nanostructures are at the heart of the CMR phenomenon. The book contains updated information on manganite research directed to experts, both theorists and experimentalists. However, graduate students or postdocs will find considerable introductory material, including elements of computational physics. The book also briefly addresses compounds where similar nanostructures have been unveiled, such as high-temperature superconductors and Eu-based semiconductors. Includes contributions by distinguished researchers.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

. Materials and Models, 1. Materials with Strongly Correlated Electrons, 2. Basic Models, 3. Reducing the Complexity: From Three-Bands to t-J Model, II. Experimental Techniques, 4. Experimental Techniques and Results, III. Solving the Models (Using Approximate Techniques), 5. Fundamentals of Diagrammatic Techniques, 6. Mean-Field Approximations, 7. Spin-Liquid States, 8. Quantum Monte Carlo, 9. Exact Diagonalization, IV. Case Studies, 10. A Few Holes in an Antiferromagnet, 11. Superconductivity in a Nutshell, 12. Climbing the Ladders, 13. One-Dimensional Problems Attacked with DMRG, 14. Phase Separation, 15. CMR Effect in Manganites, 16. Quasi-1D Systems, 17. Dimerized Systems, 18. Conclusions