Critical role of next-nearest-neighbor interlayer interaction in magnetic behavior of magnetic/nonmagnetic multilayers

Abstract

We report magnetoresistance data in magnetic semiconductor multilayers, which exhibit a clear step-wise behavior as a function of external field. We attribute this highly non-trivial step-wise behavior to next-nearest-neighbor interlayer exchange coupling. Our microscopic calculation suggests that this next-nearest-neighbor coupling can be as large as 24% of the nearest-neighbor coupling. It is argued that such unusually long-range interaction is made possible by the quasi-one-dimensional nature of the system and by the long Fermi wavelength characteristic of magnetic semiconductors.

References in corpus (3)

• Probing hole-induced ferromagnetic exchange in magnetic semiconductors by inelastic neutron scattering
• Carrier-mediated antiferromagnetic interlayer exchange coupling in diluted magnetic semiconductor multilayers Ga${}_{1-x}$Mn${}_x$As/GaAs:Be
• Definitive Evidence of Interlayer Coupling Between (Ga,Mn)As Layers Separated by a Nonmagnetic Spacer