In order to search for novel giant-magnetoresistance systems, we fabricated and investigated narrow constrictions in the layers of the ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As. We found that constrictions a few hundred nanometers wide, tailored by means of the electron-beam lithography and wet etching, were not conducting at liquid helium temperatures unless illuminated, probably due to the trapping action of surface states appearing on an extra surface area denuded by the etching. To avoid this, we used selective implantation of oxygen ions into the ferromagnetic layer to tailor the constrictions. We have shown that such an implantation inactivates Mn acceptors in the layer and destroys ferromagnetism. We propose an application of oxygen ion implantation as a method of fabricating microcircuits in future spin electronics based on Mn-containing III -V semiconductor compounds.
We studied magnetoresistance (MR) of nanoconstrictions created in (Ga,Mn)As epilayers by O + ion implantation. Original layers exhibit a negative MR that is plausibly caused by weak localization (WL) effects at the lowest temperatures.In constricted samples, additionally, jumps of an enhanced conductance appear on the background of the negative MR, whose positions reflect the hysteresis of magnetization. We argue that they are manifestation of a suppression of WL due to the nucleation of a domain wall in the constriction.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.