Experimental Elucidation: Microscopic Mechanism of Resonant X-Ray Scattering in Manganite Films

Resonant X-ray scattering experiments have been performed on perovskite manganite La 0.5 Sr 0.5 MnO 3 thin films, which are grown on three distinct perovskite substrates with a coherent epitaxial strain and have a forced ferro -type orbital ordering of Mn 3 d orbitals. Using an interference technique, we have successfully observed the resonant X-ray scattering signal from the system having the ferro -type orbital ordering and also revealed the energy scheme of Mn 4 p bands. For the forced ferro -type orbital ordering system, the present results evidence that the resonant X-ray scattering signal originates from the band structure effect due to the Jahn–Teller distortion of a MnO 6 octahedron, and not from the Coulomb interaction between 3 d and 4 p electrons.