Features of the Electronic and Charge States of Monovalent-Doped Manganite Films Probed by Magnetic Circular Dichroism
Magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopy in the range of 1.2 - 3.7 eV was studied for La1-xKxMnO3 (x = 0.05 - 0.18) epitaxial films over a wide temperature range. The thin films were grown using a two-step procedure: deposition of LaxMnO3-δ and potassium K+ incorporation into the films via isopiestic annealing. The temperature behavior of the MCD effect in different spectral regions was analyzed alongside the temperature dependences of magnetization, resistivity, and magnetoresistance of the films. It was found that the MCD signal is sensitive not only to the magnetic but also to the charge sublattice of the material. Accordingly, a correlation between the magneto-optical and magnetoresistive responses of the system was identified. These findings underscore the high information content of MCD spectroscopy for investigating the magnetic and magnetotransport properties of strongly correlated magnetic oxides. The ground and excited electronic states in the La1-xKxMnO3 films were identified, and the obtained data were compared with magneto-optical data for divalent - doped and lanthanum-deficient manganite films. Good agreement was observed, indicating the universality of the electronic structure and the shared mechanisms underlying the observed effects in such materials. These results broaden the understanding of the band structure in manganites and provide a solid foundation for its theoretical description.