Dong, Yue;
Yang, David;
Liu, Jialun;
Abdeldaim, Aly;
Wang, Wei;
Robinson, Ian;
(2025)
Symmetry breaking during low-temperature domain formation in micron-sized magnetite crystals.
Physica Scripta
, 100
(8)
, Article 085937. 10.1088/1402-4896/adee52.
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Abstract
We report the results of synchrotron Bragg Coherent x-ray Diffraction Imaging (BCDI) experiments to investigate domain formation in a micron-sized magnetite crystal undergoing the Verwey transition at low temperature. A strong splitting of the measured 311 Bragg reflection was observed in the low-temperature phase, indicating the formation of domains. BCDI revealed pronounced strain distributions, characterized by a clear layered stripe domain structure in real-space. Stripes were seen only along the [001] crystallographic direction, normal to the substrate surface direction, breaking the symmetry of the cubic high-temperature phase. It is argued that other domain directions were suppressed by the sample mounting orientation. More surprisingly, only a single domain orientation was observed, suggesting an additional symmetry-breaking influence originating from the shape of the crystal. Gaining insight into how thermal effects induce the formation of layered or striped phases offers a valuable framework for understanding the development of mesoscopic domains and strain patterns in functional materials.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Symmetry breaking during low-temperature domain formation in micron-sized magnetite crystals |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1088/1402-4896/adee52 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1402-4896/adee52 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Original content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI. |
| Keywords: | phase transitions, crystal structure, domains, strain, coherent x-ray scattering, transition temperature |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > London Centre for Nanotechnology |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10212443 |
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