Physics Commons^™

Direct Observation Of Localization Of The Minority-Spin-Band Electrons In Magnetite Below The Verwey Temperature, Hisao Kobayashi, Toshihiro Nagao, Masayoshi Itou, Sakae Todo, Bernardo Barbiellini, Peter E. Mijnarends, Arun Bansil, Nobuhiko Sakai

Bernardo Barbiellini

Two-dimensional spin-uncompensated momentum density distributions, $\rho_{\rm s}^{2D}({\bf p})$s, were reconstructed in magnetite at 12K and 300K from several measured directional magnetic Compton profiles. Mechanical de-twinning was used to overcome severe twinning in the single crystal sample below the Verwey transition. The reconstructed $\rho_{\rm s}^{2D}({\bf p})$ in the first Brillouin zone changes from being negative at 300 K to positive at 12 K. This result provides the first clear evidence that electrons with low momenta in the minority spin bands in magnetite are localized below the Verwey transition temperature.