X-Ray Diffuse Scattering due to Polarons in a Colossal Magnetoresistive Manganite

X-ray scattering study on $({\mathrm{Nd}}_{0.125}{\mathrm{Sm}}_{0.875}{)}_{0.52}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{0.48}{\mathrm{MnO}}_3$ has revealed the existence of diffuse scattering in the paramagnetic phase. Its intensity increases with decreasing temperature, but it vanishes at the ferromagnetic transition temperature. This result indicates that local lattice distortion arises from the localization of electrons on Mn sites (polarons). The intensity distributions are in agreement with calculations based on polarons associated with the Jahn-Teller distortion. Correlation between the distortion fields seems to be related to the formation of charge ordering.