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Results for “MANGANESE ARSENIDES”

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At least 19 records

Spin polarization of a Ferromagnetic Narrow Gap p-(In,Mn)As Obtained from Andreev Reflection Spectroscopy

Spin-polarized carrier transport across Nb/p-(In,Mn)As junctions has been studied. Suppressions of conductance in the superconductor sub-gap region and conductance peaks at the bias voltage around the edge of the sub-gap are observed. These features are well reproduced by a newly modified BTK model including both spin polarization and the inverse proximity effect. The value of spin polarization in p-(In,Mn)As extracted by the calculation is P = 0.725 at 0.5 K with Z = 0.25.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Generation and control of spin-polarized photocurrents in GaMnAs heterostructures

Photocurrents are calculated for a specially designed GaMnAs semiconductor heterostructure. The results reveal regions in the infrared range of the energy spectrum, in which the proposed structure is remarkably spin-selective. For such photon energies, the generated photocurrents are strongly spin-polarized. Application of a relatively small static bias in the growth direction of the structure is predicted to efficiently reverse the spin-polarization for some photon energies. This behavior suggests the possibility of conveniently simple switching mechanisms. The physics underlying the results is studied and understood in terms of the spin-dependent properties emerging from the particular potential profile of the structure.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

A comprehensive study of the magnetic, structural, and transport properties of the III-V ferromagnetic semiconductor InMnP

The manganese induced magnetic, electrical, and structural modification in InMnP epilayers, prepared by Mn ion implantation and pulsed laser annealing, are investigated in the following work. All samples exhibit clear hysteresis loops and strong spin polarization at the Fermi level. The degree of magnetization, the Curie temperature, and the spin polarization depend on the Mn concentration. The bright-field transmission electron micrographs show that InP samples become almost amorphous after Mn implantation but recrystallize after pulsed laser annealing. We did not observe an insulator-metal transition in InMnP up to a Mn concentration of 5 at. %. Instead all InMnP samples show insulating characteristics up to the lowest measured temperature. Magnetoresistance results obtained at low temperatures support the hopping conduction mechanism in InMnP. We find that the Mn impurity band remains detached from the valence band in InMnP up to 5 at. % Mn doping. Our findings indicate that the local environment of Mn ions in InP is similar to GaMnAs, GaMnP, and InMnAs; however, the electrical properties of these Mn implanted III-V compounds are different. This is one of the consequences of the different Mn binding energy in these compounds.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Ab Initio Study of the Structural, Magnetic, Electronic, and Thermodynamic Properties of Pd{sub 2}MnZ (Z = Ga, Ge, As) Heusler Alloys

The results of examination of the structural, magnetic, electronic, and thermodynamic properties of Pd{sub 2}MnZ (Z = Ga, Ge, As) Heusler alloys obtained in ab initio and Monte Carlo modeling are presented. It is demonstrated that a stable martensitic state is possible for Pd{sub 2}MnGa and Pd{sub 2}MnAs alloys. The equilibrium lattice parameter increases in the considered series of alloys with the number of valence electrons per atom (e/a). The Curie temperature of Pd{sub 2}MnZ (Z = Ga, Ge, As) alloys is determined using the calculated parameters of exchange interaction and total magnetic moments.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Element- and momentum-resolved electronic structure of the dilute magnetic semiconductor manganese doped gallium arsenide

The dilute magnetic semiconductors have promise in spin-based electronics applications due to their potential for ferromagnetic order at room temperature, and various unique switching and spin-dependent conductivity properties. However, the precise mechanism by which the transition-metal doping produces ferromagnetism has been controversial. Here we have studied a dilute magnetic semiconductor (5% manganese-doped gallium arsenide) with Bragg-reflection standing-wave hard X-ray angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, and resolved its electronic structure into element- and momentum- resolved components. The measured valence band intensities have been projected into element-resolved components using analogous energy scans of Ga 3d, Mn 2p, and As 3d core levels, with results in excellent agreement with element-projected Bloch spectral functions and clarification of the electronic structure of this prototypical material. This technique should be broadly applicable to other multi-element materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Identification of the interstitial Mn site in ferromagnetic (Ga,Mn)As

We determined the lattice location of Mn in ferromagnetic (Ga,Mn)As using the electron emission channeling technique. We show that interstitial Mn occupies the tetrahedral site with As nearest neighbors (T{sub As}) both before and after thermal annealing at 200 °C, whereas the occupancy of the tetrahedral site with Ga nearest neighbors (T{sub Ga}) is negligible. T{sub As} is therefore the energetically favorable site for interstitial Mn in isolated form as well as when forming complexes with substitutional Mn. These results shed new light on the long standing controversy regarding T{sub As} versus T{sub Ga} occupancy of interstitial Mn in (Ga,Mn)As.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Thermoelectric Properties of a Ferromagnetic Semiconductor Based on a Dirac Semimetal (Cd{sub 3}As{sub 2}) under High Pressure

The pressure dependences of thermal emf (a parameter that ranks among the most sensitive to phase transformations) are studied for the purpose of identifying baric phase transitions in the 10–50 GPa interval in the Cd{sub 3}As{sub 2} + MnAs (44.7% MnAs) structure formed by ferromagnetic MnAs granules in a semiconductor Cd{sub 3}As{sub 2} matrix.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Effects of laser irradiation on the self-assembly of MnAs nanoparticles in a GaAs matrix

We investigate the effects of laser irradiation on the self-assembly of MnAs nanoparticles during solid-phase decomposition in a GaAs matrix. It is found that laser irradiation suppresses the growth of MnAs nanoparticles from small to large size, and that the median diameter D{sub 1} in the size distribution of small MnAs nanoparticles depends on the incident photon energy E following D{sub 1} {approx} E{sup -1/5}. We explain this behavior by the desorption of Mn atoms on the MnAs nanoparticle surface due to resonant optical absorption, in which incident photons excite intersubband electronic transitions between the quantized energy levels in the MnAs nanoparticles.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of single MnAs nanoclusters in GaAs

MnAs nanoclusters in GaAs were investigated with cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy. The topographic images reveal that the small clusters have the same zinc-blende crystal structure as the host material, while the larger clusters grow in a hexagonal crystal phase. The initial Mn concentration during molecular beam epitaxy growth has a strong influence on the size of the clusters that form during the annealing step. The local band structure of a single MnAs cluster is probed with scanning tunneling spectroscopy, revealing a Coulomb blockade effect that correlates with the size of the cluster. With a spin-sensitive tip, for the smaller clusters, superparamagnetic switching between two distinct states is observed at T = 77 K. The larger clusters do not change their magnetic state at this temperature, i.e., they are superferromagnetic, confirming that they are responsible for the ferromagnetic behavior of this material at room-temperature.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Dislocation gliding and cross-hatch morphology formation in AIII-BV epitaxial heterostructures

An approach for understanding the origin of cross-hatch pattern (CHP) on the surface of lattice mismatched GaMnAs/InGaAs samples grown on GaAs (001) substrates is developed. It is argued that the motion of threading dislocations in the (111) slip planes during the relaxation of InGaAs buffer layer is more complicated process and its features are similar to the ones of dislocation half-loops gliding in plastically deformed crystals. The heterostructures were characterized by atomic force microscopy and electron beam induced current (EBIC). Detailed EBIC experiments revealed contrast features, which cannot be accounted for by the electrical activity of misfit dislocations at the buffer/substrate interface. We attribute these features to specific extended defects (EDs) generated by moving threading dislocations in the partially relaxed InGaAs layers. We believe that the core topology, surface reconstruction, and elastic strains from these EDs accommodated in slip planes play an important role in the CHP formation. The study of such electrically active EDs will allow further understanding of degradation and changes in characteristics of quantum devices based on strained heterostructures.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Effect of thermal annealing on the photoluminescence of structures with InGaAs/GaAs quantum wells and a low-temperature GaAs layer δ-doped with Mn

The effects of isochronal thermal annealing (at 325–725°C) on the radiative properties of InGaAs/GaAs nanoheterostructures containing a low-temperature GaAs layer δ-doped with Mn grown by laser deposition are studied. A decrease in the photoluminescence intensity and increase in the ground transition energy are observed upon thermal impact for quantum wells located near the low-temperature GaAs layer. The distribution of Mn atoms in the initial and annealed structures is obtained by secondary-ion mass spectrometry. A qualitative model of the observed effects of thermal annealing on the radiative properties of the structures is discussed; this model takes into account two main processes: diffusion of point defects (primarily gallium vacancies) from the GaAs coating layer deep into the structure and Mn diffusion in both directions by the dissociation mechanism. Magnetization studies show that, as a result of thermal annealing, an increase in the proportion of the ferromagnetic phase at room temperature (presumably, MnAs clusters) in the low-temperature GaAs coating layer takes place.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Effect of growth temperature on magnetic and electronic properties of epitaxially grown MnAs thin films on GaAs(100) substrates

We grew epitaxial MnAs thin films on GaAs(100) substrates using molecular-beam epitaxy and investigated the growth temperature dependences of their physical properties. With increasing growth temperature from 200 Degree-Sign C to 350 Degree-Sign C, the crystal orientation of the film changed from type-A to type-B. The Curie temperatures of all type-B samples were {approx}346 K, while the type-A sample showed a lower bulk-like value of {approx}318 K, indicating an improvement in magnetic properties. Samples grown at above 550 Degree-Sign C exhibited semiconducting behavior, whereas the lower temperature grown samples show metallic behavior as expected. Our results indicate that growth temperature plays an important role in determining the crystal structure, magnetic, and electrical-transport properties of MnAs/GaAs(100) thin films.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Selective-area growth and magnetic characterization of MnAs/AlGaAs nanoclusters on insulating Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} layers crystallized on Si(111) substrates

We report on selective-area metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy and magnetic characterization of coupled MnAs/AlGaAs nanoclusters formed on thin Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} insulating layers crystallized on Si(111) substrates. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy reveals that poly-crystalline γ-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} grains are formed after an annealing treatment of the amorphous Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} layers deposited by atomic layer deposition on Si(111) substrates. The 〈111〉 direction of the γ-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} grains tends to be oriented approximately parallel to the 〈111〉 direction of the Si substrate. We observe that hexagonal MnAs nanoclusters on AlGaAs buffer layers grown by selective-area metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy on partially SiO{sub 2}-masked Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} insulator crystallized on Si(111) substrates are oriented with the c-axis along the 〈111〉 direction of the substrates, but exhibit a random in-plane orientation. A likely reason is the random orientation of the poly-crystalline γ-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} grains in the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer plane. Magnetic force microscopy studies at room temperature reveal that arrangements of coupled MnAs nanoclusters exhibit a complex magnetic domain structure. Such arrangements of coupled MnAs nanoclusters may also show magnetic random telegraph noise, i.e., jumps between two discrete resistance levels, in a certain temperature range, which can be explained by thermally activated changes of the complex magnetic structure of the nanocluster arrangements.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Circularly polarized electroluminescence of light-emitting InGaAs/GaAs (III, Mn)V diodes on the basis of structures with a tunneling barrier

The comparative investigation of circularly polarized electroluminescence in Zener diodes based on InGaAs/n-GaAs/n{sup +}-GaAs/GaMnAs and InGaAs/n-GaAs/n{sup +}-GaAs/GaMnSb is carried out. It is established that the circularly polarized electroluminescence is associated with the spin injection of electrons from a ferromagnetic semiconductor layer. The luminescence parameters are determined by the properties of these layers. It is shown that the ferromagnetic properties of the GaMnSb layer allow us to obtain circularly polarized emission at room temperature from InGaAs/n-GaAs/n{sup +}-GaAs/GaMnSb heterostructures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Role of Perpendicular Anisotropy in the Zigzag Domain Wall Structure in Thin Magnetic Films

We investigate apparently zigzag domain walls in ultrathin magnetic films and calculate the total energy in zero applied field considering anisotropies in the second-order approximation. We discuss the change in zigzag wall morphology and scale as a function of the dipolar length and the total energy depend on film parameters exclusively anisotropy constants, crystallographic orientation and film thickness for a given dipolar length. We explain also the role of the second-order anisotropy in the total energy and the dynamics response of the in-plane magnetization for a given dipolar length. We use some constants in connection with experimental data reported for amorphous TbCo films grown in external in-plane magnetic field by high-frequency ion sputtering and for MnAs on GaAs films.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Azimuthal reflection high-energy electron diffraction study of MnAs growth on GaAs(001) by molecular beam epitaxy

Azimuthal reflection high-energy electron diffraction (ARHEED) and in situ grazing incidence synchrotron x-ray diffraction techniques are employed to investigate the growth, epitaxial orientation, and interfacial structure of MnAs layers grown on GaAs(001) by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). We demonstrate the power and reliability of ARHEED scans as a routine tool in characterizing the formation of epitaxial films. The ARHEED scans clearly reveal the formation of the rectangular MnAs unit cell during growth on GaAs(001) for a MnAs layer thickness of 2.1 {+-} 0.2 monolayers with a tensile strain along the MnAs[1120] direction. A periodic coincidence site lattice, which is known to form along the MnAs [0001] direction to release the strain due to the huge lattice mismatch ({approx}30%) also produces periodic satellites of the diffraction spots in the ARHEED scan. The formation of different epitaxial orientations of MnAs during MBE growth can be directly observed using ARHEED scans. ARHEED is demonstrated to have a resolution similar to synchrotron x-ray diffraction with a double crystal monochromator, yielding full width at half maximum values of reflections as small as 0.005 reciprocal lattice units.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Magnetoresistance effects and spin-valve like behavior of an arrangement of two MnAs nanoclusters

We report on magnetotransport measurements on a MnAs nanocluster arrangement consisting of two elongated single-domain clusters connected by a metal spacer. The arrangement was grown on GaAs(111)B-substrates by selective-area metal organic vapor phase epitaxy. Its structural properties were investigated using scanning-electron microscopy and atomic-force microscopy, while its magnetic domain structure was analyzed by magnetic-force microscopy. The magnetoresistance of the arrangement was investigated at 120 K for two measurement geometries with the magnetic field oriented in the sample plane. For both geometries, discrete jumps of the magnetoresistance of the MnAs nanocluster arrangement were observed. These jumps can be explained by magnetic-field induced switching of the relative orientation of the magnetizations of the two clusters which affects the spin-dependent scattering in the interface region between the clusters. For a magnetic field orientation parallel to the nanoclusters' elongation direction a spin-valve like behavior was observed, showing that ferromagnetic nanoclusters may be suitable building blocks for planar magnetoelectronic devices.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗