J. Kanski

Electron correlations in MnxGa1-xAs as seen by resonant electron spectroscopy and dynamical mean field theory

After two decades since the discovery of ferromagnetism in manganese-doped gallium arsenide, its origin is still debated, and many doubts are related to the electronic structure. Here we report an experimental and theoretical study of the valence electron spectrum of manganese-doped gallium arsenide. The experimental data are obtained through the differences between off- and on-resonance photo emission data. The theoretical spectrum is calculated by means of a combination of density-functional theory in the local density approximation and dynamical mean field theory, using exact diagonalization as impurity solver. Theory is found to accurately reproduce measured data and illustrates the importance of correlation effects. Our results demonstrate that the manganese states extend over a broad range of energy, including the top of the valence band, and that no impurity band splits-off from the valence band edge, whereas the induced holes seem located primarily around the manganese impurity.

Postgrowth annealing of (Ga,Mn) As under As capping: An alternative way to increase TC

In situ postgrowth annealing of (Ga,Mn)As layers under As capping is adequate for achieving high Curie temperatures (TC) in a similar way as ex situ annealing in air or in N2 atmosphere practiced earlier. Thus, the first efforts give an increase of TC from 68 to 145 K after 2 h annealing at 180 °C. These data, in combination with lattice parameter determinations and photoemission results, show that the As capping acts as an efficient sink for diffusing Mn interstitials.

Structural and magnetic properties of GaMnAs layers with high Mn-content grown by migration-enhanced epitaxy on GaAs(100) substrates

Ferromagnetic GaMnAs containing up to 10% Mn has been grown by migration-enhanced epitaxy at a substrate temperature of 150 °C. The lattice constant of hypothetical zinc-blende structure MnAs is determined to be 5.90 A, which deviates somewhat from previously reported values. This deviation is ascribed to growth-condition-dependent density of point defects. Magnetization measurements showed an onset of ferromagnetic ordering around 75 K for the GaMnAs layer with 10% Mn. This means that the trend of falling Curie temperatures with increasing Mn concentrations above 5.3% is broken.

Structural and magnetic properties of molecular beam epitaxy grown GaMnAs layers

GaMnAs layers with Mn contents from 0.05% to 7% were grown by low temperature molecular beam epitaxy. At substrate temperatures lower than 300 °C and in this composition range a uniform ternary GaMnAs compound can be grown without MnAs precipitation. Reflection high energy electron diffraction intensity oscillations recorded during GaMnAs growth were used to calibrate the composition of the GaMnAs films with high accuracy (better than 0.1%). Films containing more than 1% Mn exhibit a ferromagnetic phase transition with Curie temperatures from a few up to 70 K depending on the composition and other growth parameters. In contrast to previous reports we have observed this transition also in the case of layers grown at very low substrate temperatures (below 200 °C).

Appearance potential spectroscopy of simple metals

Abstract The APS spectra of Al, Mg, and Be have been measured. Good correlations to soft X-ray absorption spectra and density of states calculations are found. Plasmon satellites have been observed in Mg and Be. Edge singularities are detected in Al and Mg.

Magnetization reversal in GaMnAs layers studied by Kerr effect

In this letter, magnetization reversal is investigated in (Ga,Mn)As thin films using the magneto-optical Kerr effect. A Stoner–Wohlfart model, modified to take into account the existence of magnetic reversal discontinuities associated with nucleation and propagation phenomena allows us to estimate most of the characteristic constants. These results demonstrate a reversal behavior analogous to that observed in metallic magnetic layers (coherent rotation followed by a nucleation propagation process). The dynamic study at T=20 K shows a strong increase of the coercivity with the increase of dH/dt. This effect is related to the random distribution of Mn magnetic ions in the lattice.

GaAs : Mn nanowires grown by molecular beam epitaxy of (Ga,Mn)As at MnAs segregation conditions

GaAs:Mn nanowires were obtained on GaAs(001) and GaAs(111)B substrates by molecular beam epitaxial growth of (Ga,Mn)As at conditions leading to MnAs phase separation. Their density is proportional to the density of catalyzing MnAs nanoislands, which can be controlled by the Mn flux and/or the substrate temperature. After deposition corresponding to a 200 nm thick (Ga,Mn)As layer the nanowires are around 700 nm long. Their shapes are tapered, with typical diameters around 30 nm at the base and 7 nm at the tip. The wires grow along the 111 direction, i.e., along the surface normal on GaAs(111)B and inclined on GaAs(001). In the latter case they tend to form branches. Being rooted in the ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As, the nanowires combine one-dimensional properties with the magnetic properties of (Ga,Mn)As and provide natural, self-assembled structures for nanospintronics.

Photoemission studies of the band bending on MBE‐grown GaAs(001)

The band bending on GaAs(001) surfaces prepared by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) have been studied for n‐ and p‐type materials. Surfaces with c(4×4), c(2×8), and (4×6) reconstruction ranging from As to Ga rich have been investigated. The surface symmetry was determined by reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and the position of the valence band maximum relative to the Fermi level was measured using angle resolved UV photoelectron spectroscopy (ARUPS) at normal emission. The position of the Fermi level relative to the valence band maximum was found to be ∼0.7 eV for n‐type and ∼0.5 eV for p‐type material, with a slightly increasing trend in going from Ga‐ to As‐rich surfaces. For the (4×6) reconstructed n‐type samples the growth termination method was found to have a significant influence on the band bending. The results obtained here are in very good agreement with previous measurements of the Al–GaAs(001) Schottky barrier height indicating that the electronic properties of this junction are...

Interpretation of UPS from Cu(111) using a time reversed LEED formalism

Abstract Angle resolved photoelectron spectra from Cu(111) have been studied experimentally and theoretically. A one-step model has been found able to reproduce all observed features. In particular a recently observed resonance at hν = 70 eV is interpreted in terms of joint density of states modulations.

Ferromagnetism and interlayer exchange coupling in short-period (Ga,Mn)As/GaAs superlattices

Magnetic properties of (Ga,Mn)As/GaAs superlattices are investigated. The structures contain magnetic (Ga,Mn)As layers, separated by thin layers of nonmagnetic GaAs spacer. The short-period Ga0.93Mn0.07As/GaAs superlattices exhibit a paramagnetic-to-ferromagnetic phase transition close to 60 K, for thicknesses of (Ga,Mn)As down to 23 A. For Ga0.96Mn0.04As/GaAs superlattices of similar dimensions, the Curie temperature associated with the ferromagnetic transition is found to oscillate with the thickness of nonmagnetic spacer. The observed oscillations are related to an interlayer exchange interaction mediated by the polarized holes of the (Ga,Mn)As layers.