Universal features of charge and spin order in a half-doped layered perovskite

We have investigated the peculiar structure of charge and spin ordering in the half-doped layered perovskite oxide La1.5Sr0.5CoO4 by elastic neutron scattering. Two samples with different preparation histories were studied. We find that the generic features of the ordered states, such as their short-range, glassy nature and the spin incommensurability, are sample-independent. At the same time, some subtle features of the ordered phases, such as the correlation lengths, differ. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.