  Perovskite manganite thin films, $Pr_{0.55}(Ca_{1-y}Sr_y)_{0.45}MnO_3$, have
been studied using x-ray photoemission spectroscopy in order to clarify the
consequence of the competition between ferromagnetic metal (FM) and
charge-orbital ordered insulator (COOI). Films with $y$ = 0.40 undergo uniform
paramagnetic insulator to FM transition. On the other hand, in films with $y$ =
0.25, the composition near the bicritical point, phase separation of COOI and
FM domains is indicated by the spectral change below 125 K. Interestingly,
between 50 K and 70 K, the visible laser illumination transfers the COOI-like
spectra obtained in cooling process to the FM-like spectra obtained in warming
process. This indicates that the photoinduced IMT is governed by the increase
of the FM volume fraction and is deeply related to the phase separation between
the FM and COOI states.
