Coexistence of orbital and CE-AFM orders in colossal magnetoresistance manganites: A symmetry perspective

The complex interplay between order parameters of different nature that dominates the physics of colossal magnetoresistance manganites is analysed from a symmetry based perspective. Phenomenological energies are given for the different competing phases. It is shown that the general trends observed in different systems, such as the mutual exclusion of orbital order and A-AFM order and the related stabilization of the CE-AFM order, stem to large extend from the symmetry of the parameters involved. The possible stabilization of complex phases where charge and orbital order coexist with magnetic and ferroelectric states is also anticipated.