Broad-line NMR is an indispensable tool in the study of strongly electron correlated systems (SECS), as it provides atomic scale information on the electron-electron spin correlations and electron spin ordering. On the basis of ¹³⁹La NMR combined with HRTEM measurements in the temperature range 3K-1000K, we have monitored the formation of zig-zaged Mn³⁺-Mn⁴⁺ polarons, the so called CE-type polarons in the paramagnetic phase (PM) of the prototype manganite La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃. By lowering temperature, correlated polarons are shown to dominate the electron spin dynamics in the Ferromagnetic (FM) phase, leading to a bad metallic FM phase; however, at very low temperatures they appear to be organized into a unique quantum spin liquid-crystal (SLC) phase. This is new insight into the physics of doped Mott insulators, which becomes possible only with the use of NMR.“Polaron freezing and the quantum liquid-crystal phase in the ferromagnetic metallic La0.67Ca0.33MnO3. A NMR and HRTEM study in the temperature range 3.2K to 1000K”, Panopoulos, N., et al. npj Quantum Materials 3, 20 (2018).