# High and low-temperature crystal and magnetic structures of epsilon-Fe2O3 and their correlation to its magnetic properties

**Authors:** M. Gich, C. Frontera, A. Roig, E. Taboada, E. Molins, H. R. Rechenberg, J. D. Ardisson, W. A. A. Macedo, C. Ritter, V. Hardy, J. Sort, V. Skumryev, J. Nogues  
**arXiv:** [cond-mat/0604677](https://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0604677)  
**Date:** 2006-04-28  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/fr/paper/cond-mat--0604677v1/

## Abstract

The crystal and magnetic structures of the orthorhombic e-Fe2O3 have been studied by simultaneous Rietveld refinement of X-ray and neutron powder diffraction data in combination with Mossbauer spectroscopy, as well as magnetisation and heat capacity measurements. It has been found that above 150 K the e-Fe2O3 polymorph is a collinear ferrimagnet with the magnetic moments directed along the a axis, while the magnetic ordering below 80 K is characterised by a square-wave incommensurate structure. The transformation between these two states is a second order phase transition and involves subtle structural changes mostly affecting the coordination of the tetrahedral and one of the octahedral Fe sites. The temperature dependence of the e-Fe2O3 magnetic properties is discussed in the light of these results.