A series of (Zn,Co)O layers with Co contents x up to 40% grown by atomic layer deposition have been investigated. All structures deposited at 160 • C show magnetic properties specific to II-VI dilute magnetic semiconductors with localized spins S = 3/2 coupled by strong but short-range antiferromagnetic interactions resulting in low-temperature spin-glass freezing for x = 0.16 and 0.4. At higher growth temperature (200 • C) metallic Co nanocrystals precipitate in two locations giving rise to two different magnetic responses: (i) a superparamagnetic contribution coming from volume disperse nanocrystals; (ii) a ferromagneticlike behavior brought about by nanocrystals residing at the (Zn,Co)O/substrate interface. It is shown that the dipolar coupling within the interfacial two-dimensional dense dispersion of nanocrystals is responsible for the ferromagneticlike behavior.
We report on a monotonic reduction of Curie temperature in dilute ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As upon a well controlled chemical-etching/oxidizing thinning from 15 nm down to complete removal of the ferromagnetic response. The effect already starts at the very beginning of the thinning process and is accompanied by the spin reorientation transition of the in-plane uniaxial anisotropy. We postulate that a negative gradient along the growth direction of self-compensating defects (Mn interstitial) and the presence of surface donor traps gives quantitative account on these effects within the p–d mean field Zener model with adequate modifications to take a nonuniform distribution of holes and Mn cations into account.
A series of (Zn,Co)O layers with Co contents x up to 40% grown by atomic layer deposition have been investigated. All structures deposited at 160• C show magnetic properties specific to II-VI dilute magnetic semiconductors with localized spins S = 3/2 coupled by strong but short-range antiferromagnetic interactions resulting in low-temperature spin-glass freezing for x = 0.16 and 0.4. At higher growth temperature (200• C) metallic Co nanocrystals precipitate in two locations giving rise to two different magnetic responses: (i) a superparamagnetic contribution coming from volume disperse nanocrystals; (ii) a ferromagneticlike behavior brought about by nanocrystals residing at the (Zn,Co)O/substrate interface. It is shown that the dipolar coupling within the interfacial two-dimensional dense dispersion of nanocrystals is responsible for the ferromagneticlike behavior.
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.