Structural and magnetic studies in hematite single crystals

Abstract

A joint magnetic and structural study of hematite single crystals was conducted to discover which properties could be mutually explained. A strong correlation was found between the conditions of the surface structure and the magnetic properties, coercive force and triaxial anisotropy. These properties were found to depend upon strains within the crystals which were induced during growth. Strain manifested itself visually in the form of twins and misoriented crystals. The impurity content, primarily tin, the magnetic properties and the surface structure were interrelated and were considered to depend upon the stage of crystallization and the associated supersaturation conditions at which crystal growth occurred.