Effect of reversible adsorption of water molecules on the magnetic susceptibility of iron borate

A change in the quasistatic magnetic susceptibility in thin plates of iron borate (FeBO$_3$), which is a weak ferromagnet, has been revealed at adsorption of water molecules. The measurements have been performed at room temperature with the use of the magneto-optical Faraday effect. The change of the susceptibility in saturated water vapors is about 30%. The observed effect is reversible. The time of establishing the susceptibility after the introduction of water vapors is 1.5 min, which is twice as large as the time of establishing the susceptibility after the evacuation. The effect is explained by the appearance of uniaxial surface magnetic anisotropy in the basal plane because of the adsorption of water molecules.