Confined spin waves reveal an assembly of nanosize domains in ferromagneticLa1-xCaxMnO3 (x=0.17,0.2).
We report a study of spin waves in ferromagnetic La1-xCaxMnO3, at concentrations x=0.17 and x=0.2 very close to the metallic transition (x=0.225). Below T(C), in the quasimetallic state (T=150 K), nearly q-independent energy levels are observed. They are characteristic of standing spin waves confined into finite-size ferromagnetic domains, defined only in the (a,b) plane for x=0.17, and in all directions for x=0.2. They allow an estimation of the domain's size, a few lattice spacings, and of the magnetic coupling constants inside the domains. These constants, anisotropic, are typical of an orbital-ordered state, allowing one to characterize the domains as "hole poor." The precursor state of the collossal magnetoresistance metallic phase appears, therefore, as an assembly of small orbital-ordered domains.