  By means of first-principles simulations, we unambiguously show that improper
ferroelectricity in magnetite in the low-temperature insulating phase is driven
by charge-ordering. An accurate comparison between monoclinic ferroelectric Cc
and paraelectric P2/c structures shows that the polarization arises because of
"shifts" of electronic charge between octahedral Fe sites, leading to a
non-centrosymmetric Fe2+/Fe3+ charge-ordered pattern. Our predicted values for
polarization, in good agreement with available experimental values, are
discussed in terms of point-charge dipoles located on selected Fe tetrahedra,
pointing to a manifest example of electronic ferroelectricity driven by charge
rearrangement.
