Coexistence of long-ranged charge and orbital order and spin-glass state in single-layered manganites with weak quenched disorder

The relationship between orbital and spin degrees of freedom in the single crystals of the hole-doped Pr1-xCa1+xMnO4, 0.3 <= x <= 0.7 has been investigated by means of ac-magnetometry and charge transport. We show that in an intermediate underdoped region, with 0.35 <= x < 0.5, the "orbital-master spin-slave" relationship commonly observed in half-doped manganites does not take place. The long-ranged charge-orbital order is not accompanied by an antiferromagnetic transition at low temperatures, but by a frustrated short-ranged magnetic state bringing forth a spin-glass phase. We discuss in detail the nature and origin of this true spin-glass state, which, as in the half-doped manganites with large quenched disorder, is not related to the macroscopic phase separation observed in crystals with minor defects or impurities. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2007