Defect-induced ferromagnetism in graphite

We demonstrate direct evidence for ferromagnetic order at defect structures in highly oriented pyrolytic graphite with magnetic force microscopy at room temperature. Magnetic impurities have been excluded as the origin of the magnetic signal after careful analysis supporting an intrinsic magnetic behavior of carbon-based materials. The observed ferromagnetism has been attributed to originate from unpaired electron spins localized at grain boundaries. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy of grain boundaries showed intense localized states and enhanced charge density compared to bare graphite.