Spectroscopic and topographic study of LCMO thin films using low-temperature STM

The manganites are one of a number of materials whose magnetic properties m ay be particularly useful because they appear to be 100% spin-polarised met als at low temperature. Recently, it has been demonstrated that tunnelling experiments can access the spin-split density of states in these materials. In the present work, topographic and spectroscopic information was obtaine d on thin-film La1-xCaxMnO3 material using a low-temperature UHV scanning t unnelling microscope. This paper will outline the results of this study and in particular the variation in observed features on the I-V curves as a fu nction of surface treatment. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights rese rved.