Surface characterization of colossal magnetoresistive manganites La1−xSrxMnO3 using photoelectron spectroscopy

We have studied the temperature and time dependence of the surface chemical composition and atomic structure of in situ fractured colossal magnetoresistive perovskites La1−xSrxMnO (x = 0.3, 0.4) using core-level photoelectron spectroscopy and diffraction, simultaneous with observing marked changes in both core and valence electronic structure on going above the Curie temperature [N. Mannella et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 92 (2004) 166401]. Stoichiometric analyses via core-level intensity ratios show that the near-surface composition is very nearly the same as that of the nominal (bulk) stoichiometry and further show that, during duration of our experiments, the degree of surface stoichiometry alteration or contamination has been minimal. The effects of photoelectron diffraction on such analyses are also explored. We comment on the degree to which near-surface composition or atomic-structure alterations might influence spectroscopic investigations of these manganites, or other strongly correlated materials.