Short-Range Correlations in Magnetite above the Verwey Temperature

Magnetite, discovered in ancient Greece, transitions from a simple cubic lattice to a monoclinic one with much greater resistivity when cooled to 124 K. The fundamental nature of the transition has remained a puzzle. A new experimental study shows that, despite their apparent differences in structure and electronic transport, the two phases across the transition are linked by a persistent presence of electronic correlations.