Point Defects in Electron‐Irradiated Stoichiometric Magnetite

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Abstract
High‐purity, stoichiometric, single crystalline magnetite (Fe3O4) has been electron (e−)‐irradiated below 45 K to a dose of 1023 electrons/m2. Radiation‐induced point defects give rise to both drastic modifications of intrinsic electronic processes and the occurrence of reorientation‐type magnetic relaxations. Both phenomena offer deeper insights into the mechanisms of (i) electronic charge transport and (ii) thermally activated reactions of interstitials and vacancies. Coordination between migration of elementary defects and corresponding anncaling stages can be established in Fe3O4 with higher precision than in any other magnetic system investigated so far.