Selectively Tailoring Emergent Electronic Phase Separation

By selectively tuning the energetic landscape that shapes the emergent formation of electronic phase separation, we have uncovered never before seen anisotropic transport properties that promise new tunable device applications while answering fundamental questions on the role of electronic phase separation in manganites. Using La5/8-xPrxCa3/8MnO3 (x = 0.3) as a model system, we have found that we can selectively induce anisotropic electronic domain formation along one axis of a pseudocubic perovskite single crystal thin film manganite by epitaxially locking it to an orthorhombic substrate. Simultaneous temperature-dependent resistivity measurements along the two perpendicular in-plane axes show significant differences in the metal-insulator transition temperatures and extraordinarily high anisotropic resistive behaviors on macroscales. These findings show that emergent electronic phase domain formation can be selectively tuned over long distances which opens the door to new device engineering and a fuller understanding of the balanced energetics that drive emergent behaviors in complex materials.