High-Curie-temperature ferromagnetism in self-organized Ge1-xMnx nanocolumns

The emerging field of spintronics would be dramatically boosted if room-temperature ferromagnetism could be added to semiconductor nanostructures that are compatible with silicon technology. Here, we report a high-TC (>400K) ferromagnetic phase of (Ge,Mn) epitaxial layer. The manganese content is 6%, and careful structural and chemical analyses show that the Mn distribution is strongly inhomogeneous: we observe eutectoid growth of well-defined Mn-rich nanocolumns surrounded by a Mn-poor matrix. The average diameter of these nanocolumns is 3nm and their spacing is 10nm. Their composition is close to Ge(2)Mn, which corresponds to an unknown germanium-rich phase, and they have a uniaxially elongated diamond structure. Their Curie temperature is higher than 400K. Magnetotransport reveals a pronounced anomalous Hall effect up to room temperature. A giant positive magnetoresistance is measured from 7,000% at 30K to 200% at 300K and 9T, with no evidence of saturation.     

Large anomalous Hall effect in a silicon-based magnetic semiconductor

Magnetic semiconductors are attracting great interest because of their potential use for spintronics, a new technology that merges electronics with the manipulation of conduction electron spins. (GaMn)As and (GaMn)N have recently emerged as the most popular materials for this new technology, and although their Curie temperatures are rising towards room temperature, these materials can only be fabricated in thin-film form, are heavily defective, and are not obviously compatible with Si. We show here that it is productive to consider transition metal monosilicides as potential alternatives. In particular, we report the discovery that the bulk metallic magnets derived from doping the narrow-gap insulator FeSi with Co share the very high anomalous Hall conductance of (GaMn)As, while displaying Curie temperatures as high as 53 K. Our work opens up a new arena for spintronics, involving a bulk material based only on transition metals and Si, which displays large magnetic-field effects on its electrical properties.     

Electrical control of the ferromagnetic phase transition in cobalt at room temperature

Electrical control of magnetic properties is crucial for device applications in the field of spintronics. Although the magnetic coercivity or anisotropy has been successfully controlled electrically in metals as well as in semiconductors, the electrical control of Curie temperature has been realized only in semiconductors at low temperature. Here, we demonstrate the room-temperature electrical control of the ferromagnetic phase transition in cobalt, one of the most representative transition-metal ferromagnets. Solid-state field effect devices consisting of a ultrathin cobalt film covered by a dielectric layer and a gate electrode were fabricated. We prove that the Curie temperature of cobalt can be changed by up to 12 K by applying a gate electric field of about ±2 MV cm(-1). The two-dimensionality of the cobalt film may be relevant to our observations. The demonstrated electric field effect in the ferromagnetic metal at room temperature is a significant step towards realizing future low-power magnetic applications.     

Ferromagnetism above room temperature in bulk and transparent thin films of Mn-doped ZnO

The search for ferromagnetism above room temperature in dilute magnetic semiconductors has been intense in recent years. We report the first observations of ferromagnetism above room temperature for dilute (<4 at.%) Mn-doped ZnO. The Mn is found to carry an average magnetic moment of 0.16 mu(B) per ion. Our ab initio calculations find a valance state of Mn(2+) and that the magnetic moments are ordered ferromagnetically, consistent with the experimental findings. We have obtained room-temperature ferromagnetic ordering in bulk pellets, in transparent films 2-3 microm thick, and in the powder form of the same material. The unique feature of our sample preparation was the low-temperature processing. When standard high-temperature (T > 700 degrees C) methods were used, samples were found to exhibit clustering and were not ferromagnetic at room temperature. This capability to fabricate ferromagnetic Mn-doped ZnO semiconductors promises new spintronic devices as well as magneto-optic components.     

Ferromagnetism of ZnO and GaN: A Review

The observation of ferromagnetism in magnetic ion doped II–VI diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMSs) and oxides, and later in (Ga,Mn)As materials has inspired a great deal of research interest in a field dubbed “spintronics” of late, which could pave the way to exploit spin in addition to charge in semiconductor devices. The main challenge for practical application of the DMS materials is the attainment of a Curie temperature at or preferably above room temperature to be compatible with junction temperatures. Among the studies of transition-metal doped conventional III–V and II–VI semiconductors, transition-metal-doped ZnO and GaN became the most extensively studied topical materials since the prediction by Dietl et al., based on mean field theory, as promising candidates to realize a diluted magnetic material with Curie temperature above room temperature. The underlying assumptions, however, such as transition metal concentrations in excess of 5% and hole concentrations of about 10²⁰ cm⁻³, have not gotten as much attention. The particular predictions are predicated on the assumption that hole mediated exchange interaction is responsible for magnetic ordering. Among the additional advantages of ZnO-and GaN-based DMSs are that they can be readily incorporated in the existing semiconductor heterostructure systems, where a number of optical and electronic devices have been realized, thus allowing the exploration of the underlying physics and applications based on previously unavailable combinations of quantum structures and magnetism in semiconductors. This review focuses primarily on the recent progress in the theoretical and experimental studies of ZnO- and GaN-based DMSs. One of the desirable outcomes is to obtain carrier mediated magnetism, so that the magnetic properties can be manipulated by charge control, for example through external electrical voltage. We shall first describe the basic theories forwarded for the mechanisms producing ferromagnetic behavior in DMS materials, and then review the theoretical results dealing with ZnO and GaN. The rest of the review is devoted to the structural, optical, and magnetic properties of ZnO- and GaN-based DMS materials reported in the literature. A critical review of the question concerning the origin of ferromagnetism in diluted magnetic semiconductors is given. In a similar vein, limitations and problems for identifying novel ferromagnetic DMS are briefly discussed, followed by challenges and a few examples of potential devices.     

氧化物稀磁半导体材料的理论与实验研究进展

以氧化物宽禁带半导体为基体,通过掺杂磁性元素,可将非磁性半导体转变成铁磁性半导体,利用这些铁磁性半导体,能将新型的自旋电子器件集成到传统的微电子器件上,构成功能丰富的新型器件.由于稀磁半导体材料在自旋电子学中的重要作用,近年来受到广泛的关注.简要总结了有关氧化物稀磁半导体研究的发展状况;分析了制备条件对其磁性的可能影响;重点介绍了该系统中有关磁性起源的理论模型,包括双交换机制、磁极化子模型、RKKY模型等;比较了2种磁极化子理论模型,并对这些模型的适用范围进行了分析讨论.另外,还介绍了该体系微结构和磁结构的一些检测方法以及与磁性相关的输运性质、反常霍尔效应等.     

Cu掺杂ZnO纳米粒子的光学性能及铁磁性

利用溶胶凝胶法制备了纳米结构的Cu掺杂ZnO基稀磁半导体,通过X射线衍射分析表明,样品为纯相ZnO纤锌矿结构,磁性测量表明样品在室温下呈室温铁磁性,铁磁性来源为氧化锌晶格中的缺陷与Cu2+离子之间的交换作用。室温光致发光(PL)谱观察到紫外带边和可见光区两个发射峰,且随着Cu掺杂量增加,紫外峰淬灭,可见峰发射增强。     

Carrier-controlled ferromagnetism in transparent oxide semiconductors

The search for an ideal magnetic semiconductor with tunable ferromagnetic behaviour over a wide range of doping or by electrical gating is being actively pursued as a major step towards realizing spin electronics. A magnetic semiconductor having a high Curie temperature, capable of independently controlled carrier density and magnetic doping, is crucial for developing spin-based multifunctional devices. Cr-doped In(2)O(3) is such a unique system, where the electrical and magnetic behaviour-from ferromagnetic metal-like to ferromagnetic semiconducting to paramagnetic insulator-can be controllably tuned by the defect concentration. An explicit dependence of magnetic interaction leading to ferromagnetism on the carrier density is shown. A carrier-density-dependent high Curie temperature of 850-930 K has been measured, in addition to the observation of clear magnetic domain structures in these films. Being optically transparent with the above optimal properties, Cr-doped In(2)O(3) emerges as a viable candidate for the development of spin electronics.     

Controlling the Curie temperature in (Ga,Mn)As through location of the Fermi level within the impurity band

The ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As has emerged as the most studied material for prototype applications in semiconductor spintronics. Because ferromagnetism in (Ga,Mn)As is hole-mediated, the nature of the hole states has direct and crucial bearing on its Curie temperature T(C). It is vigorously debated, however, whether holes in (Ga,Mn)As reside in the valence band or in an impurity band. Here we combine results of channelling experiments, which measure the concentrations both of Mn ions and of holes relevant to the ferromagnetic order, with magnetization, transport, and magneto-optical data to address this issue. Taken together, these measurements provide strong evidence that it is the location of the Fermi level within the impurity band that determines T(C) through determining the degree of hole localization. This finding differs drastically from the often accepted view that T(C) is controlled by valence band holes, thus opening new avenues for achieving higher values of T(C).     

Alloying (In,Mn)As and (Ga,Mn)As: Ferromagnetic (In,Ga,Mn)As Lattice-Matched to InP

An effect of alloying two ferromagnetic semiconductors (In,Mn)As and (Ga,Mn)As on the ferromagnetic properties of resultant (In,Ga,Mn)As alloys is reported. For conditions close to lattice-matching to InP substrates, y = 0.53 in (In _y Ga_1–y )_1–x Mn _x As, ferromagnetism up to Curie temperatures T _C = 100–110 K could be achieved for a Mn composition x = 0.13. Trends in the Curie temperature in (In,Ga,Mn)As are compared with (Ga,Mn)As and (In,Mn)As as a function of Mn content. Hole concentrations determined from magnetotransport, taking into account the anomalous Hall contribution to Hall resistance, gives p/Mn = 0.03 ratio to Mn composition in metallic case for x = 0.13. We mention the possible role of chemical ordering (short range) of Mn impurity atoms on hole concentration and, consequently, for the ferromagnetic properties.     

Properties of Heavily Mn-doped GaMnAs with Curie Temperature of 172.5 K

The authors have investigated the magnetic properties of heavily Mn-doped ferromagnetic semiconductor Ga_1−x Mn _x As thin film with the Mn concentration x of 15.2% grown by molecular-beam epitaxy at relatively high growth temperature of 250 °C. Magnetic circular dichroism and the anomalous Hall effect measurements indicate that this thin film holds the intrinsic ferromagnetic semiconductor features. By low-temperature annealing, the resistivity was significantly decreased and the Curie temperature was largely enhanced from 95 K to 172.5 K.     

Tunable Ferromagnetism and Thermally Induced Spin Flip in Vanadium-Doped Tungsten Diselenide Monolayers at Room Temperature

The outstanding optoelectronic and valleytronic properties of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have triggered intense research efforts by the scientific community. An alternative to induce long-range ferromagnetism (FM) in TMDs is by introducing magnetic dopants to form a dilute magnetic semiconductor. Enhancing ferromagnetism in these semiconductors not only represents a key step toward modern TMD-based spintronics, but also enables exploration of new and exciting dimensionality-driven magnetic phenomena. To this end, tunable ferromagnetism at room temperature and a thermally induced spin flip (TISF) in monolayers of V-doped WSe₂ are shown. As vanadium concentration increases, the saturation magnetization increases, which is optimal at ≈4 at% vanadium; the highest doping level ever achieved for V-doped WSe₂ monolayers. The TISF occurs at ≈175 K and becomes more pronounced upon increasing the temperature toward room temperature. The TISF can be manipulated by changing the vanadium concentration. The TISF is attributed to the magnetic-field- and temperature-dependent flipping of the nearest W-site magnetic moments that are antiferromagnetically coupled to the V magnetic moments in the ground state. This is fully supported by a recent spin-polarized density functional theory study. The findings pave the way for the development of novel spintronic and valleytronic nanodevices and stimulate further research.     

Transport Properties of Hybrids with Ferromagnetic MnAs Nanoclusters and Their Potential for New Magnetoelectronic Devices

Granular hybrid structures containing ferromagnetic nanoclusters embedded in a semiconducting matrix are an interesting class of materials as their properties can be tuned in a wide range. Hybrids are a promising alternative to dilute magnetic semiconductors in the field of spintronics and magnetoelectronics, because the nanoclusters can show ferromagnetic behavior even at room temperature. In this review, it is focused on the rather well investigated dilute magnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As with MnAs inclusions. Different preparation methods are presented which were developed over the last two decades in order to obtain MnAs nanoclusters in the semiconducting matrix and to tune the structural and magnetic properties of these clusters. Recent results on the influence of the nanoclusters on the hybrids' transport properties as well as first approaches to use hybrids with a random nanocluster distribution in new spintronic devices are discussed. In addition, the perspective of using single MnAs nanoclusters as well as ordered arrangements of a few nanoclusters in new planar magnetoelectronic devices is illustrated.     

Ferromagnetic GaAs structures with single Mn delta-layer fabricated using laser deposition

The new technique combining metal-organic chemical vapor epitaxy with laser ablation of solid targets was used for fabrication of ferromagnetic GaAs structures with single Mn delta-doped layer. The structures demonstrated anomalous Hall effect, planar Hall effect, negative and anisotropic magnetoresistance in temperature range of 10-35 K. In GaAs structures with only single Mn delta-layer (without additional 2D hole gas channel or quantum well) ferromagnetism was observed for the first time.     

Semiconductor spintronics

We review recent progress made in the field of semiconductor spintronics, a branch of semiconductor electronics where both charge and spin degrees of freedom play an important role in realizing unique functionalities. We first describe the new spin-dependent phenomena found in semiconductors including carrier-induced ferromagnetism in III-V compounds, followed by an account of our current understanding of such spin-dependent phenomena. Then we summarize the challenges the semiconductor spintronics has to meet in order for it to be a success as "electronics".     

Magnetic two-dimensional systems

Two-dimensional (2D) systems have considerably strengthened their position as one of the premier candidates to become the key material for the proposed spintronics technology, in which computational logic, communications and information storage are all processed by the electron spin. In this article, some of the most representative 2D materials including ferromagnetic metals (FMs) and diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMSs) in their thin film form, magnetic topological insulators (TIs), magnetic graphene and magnetic transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are reviewed for their recent research progresses. FM thin films have spontaneous magnetization and usually high Curie temperature (T_c), though this can be strongly altered when bonded with semiconductors (SCs). DMS and magnetic TIs have the advantage of easy integration with the existing SC-based technologies, but less robust magnetism. Magnetic ordering in graphene and TMDs are even more fragile and limited to cryogenic temperatures so far, but they are particularly interesting topics due to the desired long spin lifetime as well as the outstanding mechanical and optical properties of these materials.     

Two-level Voltage-controlled magnetization switch using a ferromagnetic semiconductor resonant-tunneling diode

It is predicted from a simple analytic theory of quantum transport, coupled to the mean-field theory for dilute magnetic semiconductor ferromagnetism, that a resonant-tunneling diode with a ferromagnetic semiconductor well can be engineered to function as a two-level magnetic switch with a large magnetization swing controlled by the applied bias across the device. Self-consistent transport and electrostatics simulations, together with the aforementioned mean-field theory, are used to illustrate a single, sharp transition of the Curie temperature of the system from its equilibrium value to nearly zero for a suitable choice of device parameters.     

Mn and other magnetic impurities in GaN and other III–V semiconductors – perspective for spintronic applications

III–V semiconductors doped with magnetic ions have been attracting interest of many laboratories all over the world during more than thirty years. At the beginning the reason was the will to understand influence of omnipresent unintentional, as well as intentionally introduced, impurities of transition metals or rare earths on electrical and optical properties of semiconductors commonly applied in electronic and optoelectronic devices. In the last years the subject of III–V semiconductors highly doped with magnetic ions, the so-called diluted magnetic semiconductors, has revived rapidly again in the context of the newborn branch of electronics, called spintronics. Diluted magnetic semiconductors based on III–V compounds are regarded as prospect candidates for applications in spintronic devices. The results of studies performed on III–V semiconductors, doped or diluted with different magnetic ions, are presented. Special attention is put to GaN because of a strong hope, based on theoretical calculations, for high temperature ferromagnetism. Reasons for difficulties with obtaining high temperature ferromagnetic semiconductors are shown. A possible mechanism of magnetic ordering in III–V semiconductors doped with Mn is presented.     

New ferromagnetics based on manganese-alloyed chalcopyrites A<Superscript>II</Superscript>B<Superscript>IV</Superscript>C<Stack><Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>V</Superscript></Stack>

This review describes the principles of semiconductor spintronics, represents the physicochemical properties of materials based on manganese-alloyed A^IIB^IVC₂^V compounds, considers the results from theoretical simulation of magnetic properties of A^IIB^IVC₂^V alloyed with 3d metals, summarizes the basic approaches to explanation of ferromagnetism with Curie points above room temperature arising in A^IIB^IVC₂^V:Mn, and indicates promising ways to synthesize and study magnetic semiconductors based on chalcopyrites A^IIB^IVC₂^V in order to produce a suitable material for spintronic devices.     

Electronic structure origins of polarity-dependent high-TC ferromagnetism in oxide-diluted magnetic semiconductors

Future spintronics technologies based on diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMSs) will rely heavily on a sound understanding of the microscopic origins of ferromagnetism in such materials. Discoveries of room-temperature ferromagnetism in wide-bandgap DMSs hold great promise, but this ferromagnetism remains poorly understood. Here we demonstrate a close link between the electronic structures and polarity-dependent high-TC ferromagnetism of TM(2+):ZnO DMSs, where TM(2+) denotes 3d transition metal ions. Trends in ferromagnetism across the 3d series of TM(2+):ZnO DMSs predicted from the energies of donor- and acceptor-type excited states reproduce experimental trends well. These results provide a unified basis for understanding both n- and p-type ferromagnetic oxide DMSs.