Scanning Tunneling Spectra and Low Energy Ion Scattering Studies of the Verwey Transition in MBE Fe$\text{}_{3}$O$\text{}_{4}$ (100) Thin Film

The (100) surface of magnetite Fe$\text{}_{3}$O$\text{}_{4}$ thin film was studied by a UHV low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope and by an ion scattering spectroscopy. The tunneling spectra revealed a widening of the gap with decreasing temperature, which may be related to the metal-insulator phase transition in this material. A strong effect of this phase transition on ion scattering from such a surface was observed. The temperature dependence of the scattered ion yield, R$\text{}^{+}$(T), revealed two minima at around 100 K and at 125 K under Ne$\text{}^{+}$ bombardment with the primary energy up to 6 keV. The disappearance of the high-temperature minimum at a bombarding energy of 6.5 keV gave a further evidence for the ion velocity dependence of the character of the R$\text{}^{+}$(T) curve, which has been first observed for a MBE Fe$\text{}_{3}$O$\text{}_{4}$ (111) film surface.