Charge melting and polaron collapse in La1.2Sr1.8Mn2O7

X-ray and neutron scattering measurements directly demonstrate the existence of polarons in the paramagnetic phase of optimally doped colossal magnetoresistive oxides. The polarons exhibit short-range correlations that grow with decreasing temperature, but disappear abruptly at the ferromagnetic transition because of the sudden charge delocalization. The "melting" of the charge ordering as we cool through T-C occurs with the collapse of the quasistatic polaron scattering, and provides important new insights into the relation of polarons to colossal magnetoresistance.