Abstract
In this paper, we demonstrate external control over the magnetization direction in ferromagnetic (FM) In1-xMnxAs/GaSb heterostructures. FM ordering with TC as high as 50 K is confirmed by superconducting quantum interference device magnetization, anomalous Hall effect (AHE), and magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements. Even though tensile strain is known to favor an easy axis normal to the layer plane, at low temperatures we observe that the magnetization direction in several samples is intermediate between the normal and in-plane axes. As the temperature increases, however, the easy axis rotates in the direction normal to the plane. We further demonstrate that the easy magnetization axis can be controlled by incident light through a bolometric effect, which induces a pronounced increase in the amplitude of the AHE. A mean-field-theory model for the carrier-mediated ferromagnetism reproduces the tendency for dramatic reorientations of the magnetization axis, but not the specific sensitivity to small temperature variations.
Original language | American English |
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Pages (from-to) | 370-373 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Physica E: Low-Dimensional Systems and Nanostructures |
Volume | 20 |
Issue number | 3-4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 2004 |
Externally published | Yes |
Event | Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Narrow Gap - Buffalo, NY., United States Duration: Jun 16 2003 → Jun 20 2003 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
- Condensed Matter Physics
Keywords
- Ferromagnetic semiconductor
- InMnAs
- Magnetic anisotropy