Critical Behavior of the Metal-Insulator Transition inLa1−xSrxMnO3

Abstract

The critical behavior of the metal-insulator (MI) transition around $x_c=0.16\mathrm{}$ has been investigated for single crystals of ${\mathrm{La}}_{1-x}{\mathrm{Sr}}_x{\mathrm{MnO}}_3$ by measurements of low-temperature resistivity and specific heat. The electronic specific heat coefficient, $\gamma =3\mathrm{}–5\mathrm{mJ}/{\mathrm{K}}^2\mathrm{mol}$, indicates minimal mass-renormalization even near the MI transition whereas significant increases of the residual value and $T^2$ coefficient of resistivity as well as of $T^3$ term of specific heat are observed with a decrease of $x$ toward $x_c$. The results indicate the presence of the spin-polarized anomalous metallic phase with strongly lattice- or orbital-coupled diffuse charge dynamics near $x_c$.