Ferroelastic control of magnetic domain structure: Direct imaging by magnetic force microscopy

As the search for more compact data storage continues, crystallographic constraint of magnetic moments remains an important piece of the puzzle. Here, the authors explore these magnetic interactions in pyrrhotite (Fe${}₇$S${}₈$), a magnetoelastic mineral that exhibits a nanoscale coupling between its ferroelastic and ferromagnetic domains. Careful quantification of the magnetic force microscopy imaging allows for a direct correlation between the bulk magnetic properties (as seen with magnetometry) and local micromagnetic structure, which reveals the ferroelastic twins beneath.