Carrier-mediated antiferromagnetic interlayer exchange coupling in diluted magnetic semiconductor multilayers Ga${}_{1-x}$Mn${}_x$As/GaAs:Be

Abstract

We use neutron reflectometry to investigate the interlayer exchange coupling between Ga${}_{0.97}$Mn${}_{0.03}$As ferromagnetic semiconductor layers separated by non-magnetic Be-doped GaAs spacers. Polarized neutron reflectivity measured below the Curie temperature of Ga${}_{0.97}$Mn${}_{0.03}$As reveals a characteristic splitting at the wave vector corresponding to twice the multilayer period, indicating that the coupling between the ferromagnetic layers are antiferromagnetic (AFM). When the applied field is increased to above the saturation field, this AFM coupling is suppressed. This behavior is not observed when the spacers are undoped, suggesting that the observed AFM coupling is mediated by charge carriers introduced via Be doping. The behavior of magnetization of the multilayers measured by DC magnetometry is consistent with the neutron reflectometry results.

4 pages, 4 figures

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Cited by in corpus (8)

• Exchange bias of a ferromagnetic semiconductor by a ferromagnetic metal
• In search of antiferromagnetic interlayer coupling in diluted magnetic thin films with RKKY interaction
• Carrier mediated interlayer exchange, ground state phase diagrams and transition temperatures of magnetic thin films
• Interlayer and interfacial exchange coupling in ferromagnetic metal/semiconductor heterostructures
• Critical role of next-nearest-neighbor interlayer interaction in magnetic behavior of magnetic/nonmagnetic multilayers
• Theory of carrier-mediated magnonic superlattices
• Pecularities of Hall effect in GaAs/δ<Mn>/GaAs/In\timesGa1-\timesAs/GaAs (\times {\approx} 0.2) heterostructures with high Mn content
• Electronic and optical spectra in a diluted magnetic semiconductor multilayer