The role of the hybridization between Mn 3d and O 2p orbitals in the existence of the Griffiths phase in La0.85Ca0.15MnO3

Favourable conditions for the existence of the Griffiths phase in the La0.85Ca0.15MnO3 compound are experimentally investigated in terms of electronic and lattice structure by temperature-dependent x-ray absorption spectroscopy, valence band photoemission spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction experiments. The chemical shifts of Mn L-edge and O K-edge x-ray absorption lines in the Griffiths phase are understood to be related to the hybridization between Mn 3d and O 2p states instead of the variation of Mn valence states. Valence band spectra also indicate that the hybridization of O 2p with Mn 3d is enhanced in the Griffiths phase. From a 2D diluted Ising ferromagnet model, this hybridization between Mn 3d and O 2p orbitals surely enhances the Griffiths phase feature.