Direct observation of t2g orbital ordering in magnetite

Phys Rev Lett. 2008 Jan 18;100(2):026406. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.026406. Epub 2008 Jan 17.

Abstract

Using soft-x-ray diffraction at the site-specific resonances in the Fe L2,3 edge, we find clear evidence for orbital and charge ordering in magnetite below the Verwey transition. The spectra show directly that the (001/2) diffraction peak (in cubic notation) is caused by t2g orbital ordering at octahedral Fe2+ sites and the (001) by a spatial modulation of the t2g occupation.