  Neutron elastic, inelastic and high energy x-ray scattering techniques are
used to explore the nature of the polaron order and dynamics in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3.
Static polaron correlations develop within a narrow temperature regime as the
Curie temperature is approached from low temperatures, with a nanoscale
correlation length that is only weakly temperature dependent. The static nature
of these short-range polaron correlations indicates the presence of a
glass-like state, similar to the observations for the bilayer manganite in the
metallic-ferromagnetic doping region. In addition to this elastic component,
inelastic scattering measurements reveal dynamic correlations with a comparable
correlation length, and with an energy distribution that is quasielastic. The
elastic component disappears at a higher temperature T*, above which the
correlations are purely dynamic. The overall behavior bears a remarkable
resemblance to the magnetic fluctuation spectrum recently observed in
underdoped cuprates.
