Electronic inhomogeneity EuO: Possibility of magnetic polaron states

We have observed the spatial inhomogeneity of the electronic structure of a single-crystalline electron-doped EuO thin film with ferromagnetic ordering by employing infrared magneto-optical imaging with synchrotron radiation. The uniform paramagnetic electronic structure changes to a uniform ferromagnetic structure via an inhomogeneous state with decreasing temperature and increasing magnetic field slightly above the ordering temperature. One possibility of the origin of the inhomogeneity is the appearance of magnetic polaron states.