Micromagnetism in (001) magnetite by spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy

Spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy was used to image a magnetite crystal with (001) surface orientation. Sets of spin-dependent images of magnetic domain patterns observed in this surface were used to map the direction of the magnetization vector with high spatial and angular resolution. We find that domains are magnetized along the surface < 110 > directions, and domain wall structures include 90 degrees and 180 degrees walls. A type of unusually curved domain walls are interpreted as Neel-capped surface terminations of 180 degrees Bloch walls. (C) 2013 Elsevier BY. All rights reserved.