Neutron Diffraction Study of Manganese Ferrite

Abstract

Neutron diffraction patterns have been obtained for polycrystalline Mn${\mathrm{Fe}}_2$ ${\mathrm{O}}_4$ at 300°K and 4.2°K. The fraction of tetrahedral sites occupied by ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{+2\mathrm{}}$ has been found to be 0.81±0.03, indicating that Mn${\mathrm{Fe}}_2$ ${\mathrm{O}}_4$ has very nearly the normal spinel structure. The value 0.3846±0.0003 has been assigned to the space group parameter $u$. The observed magnetic scattering is consistent with the Néel model and with the measured saturation moment.