Charge order, enhanced orbital moment, and absence of magnetic frustration in layered multiferroic LuFe2O4

Electronic and magnetic properties of the charge ordered phase of LuFe2O4 are investigated by means of x-ray spectroscopic and theoretical electronic structure approaches. LuFe2O4 is a compound showing fascinating magnetoelectric coupling via charge ordering. Here, we identify the spin ground state of LuFe2O4 in the charge ordered phase to be a 2:1 ferrimagnetic configuration, ruling out a frustrated magnetic state. An enhanced orbital moment may enhance the magnetoelectric coupling. Furthermore, we determine the densities of states and the corresponding correlation potentials by means of x-ray photoelectron and emission spectroscopies, as well as electronic structure calculations.