Structural Analysis of La$_{x}$ Mn O$_{3}$ Films

Local and long-range structure have been correlated with the magnetic and transport properties in La$_{x}$MnO$_{3}$ films (2000$\AA$) with La:Mn content (x) ranging from 0.83 to 1.09. The local structure has been investigated by Mn K-edge X-Ray Absorption spectroscopy as a function of x. The long range structure has been evaluated by detailed measurements of the in-plane and out-of-plane lattice parameters via high-resolution synchrotron x-ray diffraction. The detailed local distortions of the MnO$_{6}$ octahedra are related to the low temperature magnetization. This research is supported by NSF DMR-0209243 and DMR-0512196.