Lack of a threefold rotation axis in α-Fe2O3and α-Cr2O3crystals

Abstract

The crystal structure of α-Fe2O3and α-Cr2O3is usually described with the corundum-type trigonal crystal structure based on the space group R\bar 3c. There are, however, some observations of the magnetic ordering of both α-Fe2O3and α-Cr2O3that are incompatible with the trigonal symmetry. We show experimental evidence based on X-ray powder diffraction and supported by transmission electron microscopy that the symmetry of the crystal structure of both α-Fe2O3and α-Cr2O3is monoclinic and it is described with the space groupC2/c(derived from R\bar 3c by removing the threefold rotation axis). The magnetic orderings of α-Fe2O3and α-Cr2O3are compatible with the magnetic space groupsC2/candC2/c′, respectively. These findings are in agreement with the idea from Curie [(1894),J. Phys.3, 393–415] that the dissymmetry of the magnetic ordering should be associated with a dissymmetry of the crystal structure.