Effect of strain on the orbital and magnetic ordering of manganite thin films and their interface with an insulator

Abstract

We study the effect of uniform uniaxial strain on the ground state electronic configuration of a thin film manganite. Our model Hamiltonian includes the double-exchange, the Jahn-Teller electron-lattice coupling, and the antiferromagnetic superexchange. The strain arises due to the lattice mismatch between an insulating substrate and a manganite which produces a tetragonal distortion. This is included in the model via a modification of the hopping amplitude and the introduction of an energy splitting between the Mn e_g levels. We analyze the bulk properties of half-doped manganites and the electronic reconstruction at the interface between a ferromagnetic and metallic manganite and the insulating substrate. The strain drives an orbital selection modifying the electronic properties and the magnetic ordering of manganites and their interfaces.