Misfit strain induced lattice distortions in heteroepitaxially grown LaxCa1−xMnO3 thin films studied by extended x-ray absorption fine structure and high-resolution x-ray diffraction

Abstract
Mn–O and Mn–Mn interatomic distances were determined in La x Ca 1−x MnO 3 filmsgrown heteroepitaxially on single crystal SrTiO 3 and LaAlO 3 substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. Mn–O bond lengths were found to be fixed at ∼1.975 Å for both types of substrates, while the Mn–Mn distance was detected to be larger for filmsgrown on SrTiO 3 substrates than for filmsgrown on LaAlO 3 . The deviation of Mn–Mn interatomic distances, and subsequently Mn–O–Mn bond angles, in epitaxial La x Ca 1−x MnO 3 films is attributed to the misfit strain: compressive for LaAlO 3 and tensile for SrTiO 3 substrates.