Uncorrelated and correlated nanoscale lattice distortions in the paramagnetic phase of magnetoresistive manganites

Neutron scattering measurements on a magnetoresistive manganite La$_{0.75}$(Ca$_{0.45}$Sr$_{0.55}$)$_{0.25}$MnO$_3$ show that uncorrelated dynamic polaronic lattice distortions are present in both the orthorhombic (O) and rhombohedral (R) paramagnetic phases. The uncorrelated distortions do not exhibit any significant anomaly at the O-to-R transition. Thus, both the paramagnetic phases are inhomogeneous on the nanometer scale, as confirmed further by strong damping of the acoustic phonons and by the anomalous Debye-Waller factors in these phases. In contrast, recent x-ray measurements and our neutron data show that polaronic correlations are present only in the O phase. In optimally doped manganites, the R phase is metallic, while the O paramagnetic state is insulating (or semiconducting). These measurements therefore strongly suggest that the {it correlated} lattice distortions are primarily responsible for the insulating character of the paramagnetic state in magnetoresistive manganites.