Characterization of ferroelectric domains in magnetite (Fe3O4)

Abstract

Magnetite has long been investigated across many disciplines due to the interplay between its ferroic order parameters, namely, its ferrimagnetism, ferroelasticity, and ferroelectricity. Despite this, the experimental difficulty in measuring low temperature real space images of the ferroelectric domains has meant that the local behavior of ferroelectric domains emergent below the ∼38 K phase transition have yet to be realized. This work presents real space images of the ferroelectric domains and uses piezoresponse force microscopy as a function of temperature to probe the onset of piezoelectricity and ferroelectricity across the 38 K transition.