Interplay between double-exchange, superexchange, and Lifshitz localization in doped manganites

Considering the disorder caused in manganites by the substitution Mn→Fe or Ga, we accomplish a systematic study of doped manganites begun in previous papers. To this end, a disordered model is formulated and solved using the variational mean-field technique. The subtle interplay between double exchange, superexchange, and disorder causes similar effects on the dependence of T_(C) on the percentage of Mn substitution in the cases considered. Yet, in La_(2/3)Ca_(1/3)Mn_(1-y)Ga_(y)O_(3) our results suggest a quantum critical point (QCP) for y ≈ 0.1–0.2, associated to the localization of the electronic states of the conduction band. In the case of La_(x)Ca_(x)Mn_(1-y)Fe_(y)O_(3) (with x = 1/3,3/8) no such QCP is expected.