  The oldest known magnetic material, magnetite, is of current interest for use
in spintronics as a thin film. An open question is how thin can magnetite films
be and still retain the robust ferrimagnetism required for many applications.
We have grown one-nanometer-thick magnetite crystals and characterized them in
situ by electron and photoelectron microscopies including selected-area x-ray
circular dichroism. Well-defined magnetic patterns are observed in individual
nano-crystals up to at least 520 K, establishing the retention of
ferrimagnetism in magnetite two-unit-cells thick.
