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Register a new userLocal lattice distortions around $rm{Mn^{2+}}$ cause in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in Ga(Mn)As
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Added by
Hemachander Subramanian
Publication date
2012
fields
Physics
and research's language is
English
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We theoretically investigate the interplay between local lattice distortions around $rm{Mn^{2+}}$ ion impurity and the ions magnetic polarization, mediated through spin-orbit coupling of hole. We show that the tetrahedral symmetry around $rm{Mn^{2+}}$ ion impurity is spontaneously broken even in the paramagnetic regime. Modest local lattice distortions around the impurity $rm{Mn^{2+}}$ ion, along with the growth strain, stabilize magnetization along $< 110 >$ directions, in the ferromagnetic regime. We explain the experimentally observed in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy seen in this system using this symmetry-breaking mechanism.
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We show, by SQUID magnetometry, that in (Ga,Mn)As films the in-plane uniaxial magnetic easy axis is consistently associated with particular crystallographic directions and that it can be rotated from the [-110] direction to the [110] direction by low temperature annealing. We show that this behavior is hole-density-dependent and does not originate from surface anisotropy. The presence of uniaxial anisotropy as well its dependence on the hole-concentration and temperature can be explained in terms of the p-d Zener model of the ferromagnetism assuming a small trigonal distortion.
Atomic Force Microscopy and Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction measurements have revealed the presence of ripples aligned along the $[1bar{1}0]$ direction on the surface of (Ga,Mn)As layers grown on GaAs(001) substrates and buffer layers, with periodicity of about 50 nm in all samples that have been studied. These samples show the strong symmetry breaking uniaxial magnetic anisotropy normally observed in such materials. We observe a clear correlation between the amplitude of the surface ripples and the strength of the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy component suggesting that these ripples might be the source of such anisotropy.
We present an experimental and theoretical study of magnetocrystalline anisotropies in arrays of bars patterned lithographically into (Ga,Mn)As epilayers grown under compressive lattice strain. Structural properties of the (Ga,Mn)As microbars are investigated by high-resolution X-ray diffraction measurements. The experimental data, showing strong strain relaxation effects, are in good agreement with finite element simulations. SQUID magnetization measurements are performed to study the control of magnetic anisotropy in (Ga,Mn)As by the lithographically induced strain relaxation of the microbars. Microscopic theoretical modeling of the anisotropy is performed based on the mean-field kinetic-exchange model of the ferromagnetic spin-orbit coupled band structure of (Ga,Mn)As. Based on the overall agreement between experimental data and theoretical modeling we conclude that the micropatterning induced anisotropies are of the magnetocrystalline, spin-orbit coupling origin.
We study a possible mechanism of the switching of the magnetic easy axis as a function of hole concentration in (Ga,Mn)As epilayers. In-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy along [110] is found to exceed intrinsic cubic magnetocrystalline anisotropy above a hole concentration of p = 1.5 * 10^21 cm^-3 at 4 K. This anisotropy switching can also be realized by post-growth annealing, and the temperature-dependent ac susceptibility is significantly changed with increasing annealing time. On the basis of our recent scenario [Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 147203 (2005); Phys. Rev. B 73, 155204 (2006).], we deduce that the growth of highly hole-concentrated cluster regions with [110] uniaxial anisotropy is likely the predominant cause of the enhancement in [110] uniaxial anisotropy at the high hole concentration regime. We can clearly rule out anisotropic lattice strain as a possible origin of the switching of the magnetic anisotropy.
We report the observation of anomalies in the longitudinal magnetoresistance of tensile-strained (Ga,Mn)As epilayers with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Magnetoresistance measurements carried out in the planar geometry (magnetic field parallel to the current density) reveal spikes that are antisymmetric with respect to the direction of the magnetic field. These anomalies always occur during magnetization reversal, as indicated by a simultaneous change in sign of the anomalous Hall effect. The data suggest that the antisymmetric anomalies originate in anomalous Hall effect contributions to the longitudinal resistance when domain walls are located between the voltage probes. This interpretation is reinforced by carrying out angular sweeps of $vec{H}$, revealing an antisymmetric dependence on the helicity of the field sweep.
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