TY - JOUR
T1 - Interlayer exchange coupling in (Ga,Mn)As ferromagnetic semiconductor multilayer systems
AU - Lee, Sanghoon
AU - Chung, Sunjae
AU - Lee, Hakjoon
AU - Liu, Xinyu
AU - Dobrowolska, M.
AU - Furdyna, J. K.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (2018R1D1A1A 02042965); by Ministry of Science ICT (2018R1A4A1024157); by a Korea University Future Research Grant; and by the National Science Foundation Grant DMR 1400432.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Chinese Institute of Electronics.
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - This paper describes interlayer exchange coupling (IEC) phenomena in ferromagnetic multilayer structures, focusing on the unique IEC features observed in ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As-based systems. The dependence of IEC on the structural parameters, such as non-magnetic spacer thickness, number of magnetic layers, and carrier density in the systems has been investigated by using magnetotransport measurements. The samples in the series show both a typical anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) and giant magnetoresistance (GMR)-like effects indicating realization of both ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) IEC in (Ga,Mn)As-based multilayer structures. The results revealed that the presence of carriers in the non-magnetic spacer is an important factor to realize AFM IEC in this system. The studies further reveal that the IEC occurs over a much longer distance than predicted by current theories, strongly suggesting that the IEC in (Ga,Mn)As-based multilayers is a long-range interaction. Due to the long-range nature of IEC in the (Ga,Mn)As-based systems, the next nearest neighbor (NNN) IEC cannot be ignored and results in multi-step transitions during magnetization reversal that correspond to diverse spin configurations in the system. The strength of NNN IEC was experimentally determined by measuring minor loops that correspond to magnetization flips in specific (Ga,Mn)As layer in the multilayer system.
AB - This paper describes interlayer exchange coupling (IEC) phenomena in ferromagnetic multilayer structures, focusing on the unique IEC features observed in ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As-based systems. The dependence of IEC on the structural parameters, such as non-magnetic spacer thickness, number of magnetic layers, and carrier density in the systems has been investigated by using magnetotransport measurements. The samples in the series show both a typical anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) and giant magnetoresistance (GMR)-like effects indicating realization of both ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) IEC in (Ga,Mn)As-based multilayer structures. The results revealed that the presence of carriers in the non-magnetic spacer is an important factor to realize AFM IEC in this system. The studies further reveal that the IEC occurs over a much longer distance than predicted by current theories, strongly suggesting that the IEC in (Ga,Mn)As-based multilayers is a long-range interaction. Due to the long-range nature of IEC in the (Ga,Mn)As-based systems, the next nearest neighbor (NNN) IEC cannot be ignored and results in multi-step transitions during magnetization reversal that correspond to diverse spin configurations in the system. The strength of NNN IEC was experimentally determined by measuring minor loops that correspond to magnetization flips in specific (Ga,Mn)As layer in the multilayer system.
KW - crystal
KW - ferromagnetic semiconductor
KW - interlayer coupling
KW - thin film
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85072826481&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1088/1674-4926/40/8/081503
DO - 10.1088/1674-4926/40/8/081503
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85072826481
SN - 1674-4926
VL - 40
JO - Journal of Semiconductors
JF - Journal of Semiconductors
IS - 8
M1 - 081503
ER -