Dynamics of a first-order electronic phase transition in manganites

By reducing an electronically phase-separated manganite (La_1-yPry)ₓCa_1-xMnO₃ single-crystal thin film to dimensions on the order of the inherent phase domains, it is possible to isolate and monitor the behavior of single domains at a first-order transition. At this critical point, it is possible to study the coexistence, formation, and annihilation processes of discrete electronic phase domains. With this technique, we make several observations on the mechanisms leading to the metal-insulator transition in manganites. We observe that domain formation is emergent and random, the transition process from the metallic phase to the insulating phase takes longer than the reverse process, electric field effects are more influential in driving a phase transition than current-induced electron heating, and single domain transition dynamics can be tuned through careful application of temperature and electric field.