Clustered States as a New Paradigm of Condensed Matter Physics

Abstract

We argue that several materials of much current interest in condensed matter physics share common phenomenological aspects that only very recent investigations are unveiling. The list includes colossal magnetoresistance manganites, high temperature superconducting cuprates, diluted magnetic semiconductors, and others. The common aspect is the relevance of intrinsic inhomogeneities in the form of "clustered states", as explained in the text.Comment: elsart3, 6 pages, 5 figures. Invited paper for the Conference Proceedings of the International Conference on Magnetism, Rome, July 200