Doped transition metal oxides: networks of local distortions correlated by elastic fields Original Research Article

We review a perspective of doped transition metal oxides as correlated electron materials governed by functional multiscale complexity. We emphasize several themes: the prevalence of intrinsic complexity realized in the coexistence or competition among broken-symmetry ground states; the origin of landscapes of spatio-temporal patterns in coupled spin, charge and lattice (orbital) degrees-of-freedom; the relevance of co-existing short- and long-range forces; and the importance of multiscale complexity for key materials properties, including multifunctional ‘electro-elastic’ materials.