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Observation of the Verwey Transition in Fe3O4 Nanocrystals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

Gil Markovich
Affiliation:
School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
Tcipi Fried
Affiliation:
School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
Pankaj Poddar
Affiliation:
School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
Amos Sharoni
Affiliation:
Racah Institute of Physics and the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
David Katz
Affiliation:
Racah Institute of Physics and the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
Tommer Wizansky
Affiliation:
Racah Institute of Physics and the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
Oded Millo
Affiliation:
Racah Institute of Physics and the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
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Abstract

The electronic properties of arrays and isolated magnetite nanocrystals were studied using tunneling spectroscopy. Macroscopic tunnel junctions were used to study stacked arrays of the nanocrystals. The temperature dependent resistance measurements showed an abrupt increase of the resistance around 100 K, attributed to the Verwey metal-insulator transition, while the current-voltage characteristics exhibit a sharp transition from an insulator gap to a peak in the density of states near the Fermi energy. This conductance peak was sensitive to in-plane magnetic field showing large magnetoresistance. The tunneling spectra obtained on isolated particles using a Scanning Tunneling Microscope exhibit a gap-like structure below the transition temperature that gradually disappeared with increasing temperature, ending with a small peak structure around zero bias.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2003

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References

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