Dynamics of the nanophase separation in manganites studied by anelastic spectroscopy

The anelastic spectra of La1-xCaxMnO3 with x just below 0.50 have been measured in order to better characterize the nature of the phase transitions and microscopic lattice relaxation processes present in these materials. A peak in the imaginary part of the elastic susceptibility around 30 K below the Curie temperature T-C presents a behaviour typical of inhomogeneous and glass-like systems. We have performed a quantitative analysis calculating the temperature dependent distribution function of the energy barriers of the fluctuations characterizing this nanostructured state.