Neutron Scattering from Low-Temperature Phase of Magnetite

A high resolution neutron scattering study has been carried out on the charge ordering of magnetite below 123 K. Magnetic components were separated out by the application of magnetic field perpendicular to the c-axis which had been aligned by field cooling. Non-zero magnetic scattering was observed at (2, 0, l+1⁄2) referred to the cubic lattice, but not at (0, 0, 2), in contradiction to the previous report by Hamilton. This magnetic intensity distribution suggests the alternate Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ in the ab plane, in contrast to the Verwey model of the single modulation along the c-axis. Substantial disagreement remains between observed magnetic intensities and simple model calculations and further experiments are suggested to resolve this difficulty.