Abstract:
University of California researchers working at Los Alamos National Laboratory recently unveiled a new theory explaining the strange coexistence of metallic and insulating phases in the crystals of a mineral called perovskite manganite. The theoretical framework they present could provide a basis for the engineering of nanoscale metallic and insulating phase patterns in manganites. Such phase patterns could be useful in the computer industry's quest to miniaturize computer disk drive heads beyond their current size limitations.