Order parameters in the Verwey phase transition

Abstract

The Verwey phase transition in magnetite is analyzed on the basis of the Landau theory. The free energy functional is expanded in a series of components belonging to the primary and secondary order parameters. A low-temperature phase with the monoclinic P2/c symmetry is a result of condensation of two order parameters X_3 and Δ_5 . The temperature dependence of the shear elastic constant C_44 is derived and the mechanism of its softening is discussed.

4 pages, 1 figure

References in corpus (5)

• Long Range Charge Ordering in Magnetite Below the Verwey Transition
• Charge and orbital order in Fe_3O_4
• Mechanism of the Verwey transition in magnetite
• Origin of the Verwey transition in magnetite: Group theory, electronic structure, and lattice dynamics study
• Brillouin scattering studies in Fe${}_3$O${}_4$ across the Verwey transition