Optical Investigations of La_{7/8}Sr_{1/8}MnO_3
  We investigated temperature dependent optical conductivity spectra of La_{7/8}Sr_{1/8}MnO_3. Its phonon bending mode starts to be splitted near a structural phase transition temperature. With further cooling, strength of a mid-infrared small polaron peak, which is located at 0.4 eV, becomes increased. These temperature dependent changes in the phonon spectra and the polaron absorption peaks were explained by a phase separation and a percolation-type transition. 
J. H. Jung, K. H. Kim, H. J. Lee, J. S. Ahn, N. J. Hur, T. W. Noh, M.   S. Kim, and J.-G. Park