Spin, Orbital, and Spin-Orbital Polarons in Transition Metal Oxides

Abstract

I give a brief overview of a polaron formation in three distinct transition metal oxides: (i) spin polaron when a hole is added to the antiferromagnetic (AF) ordered plane in La$_2$CuO$_4$, (ii) orbital polaron when a hole is added to the alternating orbital (AO) ordered plane in LaMnO$_3$, and (iii) spin-orbital polaron when a hole is added to the AF and AO ordered plane in LaVO$_3$. Comparison of the distinct features of the above polarons can shed some light on the basic differences between the experimental phase diagrams of the lightly doped transition metal oxides La$_{2-x}$Sr$_x$CuO$_4$, La$_{1-x}$Sr$_x$MnO$_3$, and La$_{1-x}$Sr$_{x}$VO$_3$.