Photoelectron Emission Microscopy at the Manganese L-edge of Thin La$_{1-x}$ Sr$_{x}$ Mn O$_{3}$ Films through the Phase Transition

Surface magnetization of La$_{1-x}$ Sr$_{x}$ Mn O$_{3}$ films has been observed directly by x-ray photoelectron emission microscopy (XPEEM) at the manganese L-edge. Two sets of films of similar thickness range have been grown via metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on LaAlO$_{3}$ and SrTiO$_{3}$ substrates. The data provides direct observation of magnetic domain melting and growth through the transition temperature. A comparison of domain geometry between the two sets of films will be presented. The effect of the coupling of the strain (tensile vs. compressive) with the magnetization will be discussed. This research is supported by NSF DMR-0209243 and DMR-0512196.