Manganese-doped ZnSiAs2 chalcopyrite: A new advanced material for spintronics

Abstract

A new spintronics material with the Curie temperature above room temperature, the ZnSiAs2 chalcopyrite doped with 1 and 2 wt % Mn, is synthesized. The magnetization, electrical resistivity, magnetoresistance, and the Hall effect of these compositions are studied. The temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity follows a semiconducting pattern with an activation energy of 0.12–0.38 eV (in the temperature range 124 K ≤ T ≤ 263 K for both compositions). The hole mobility and concentration are 1.33, 2.13 cm2/V s and 2.2 × 1016, 8 × 1016 cm−3 at T = 293 K for the 1 and 2 wt % Mn compositions, respectively. The magnetoresistance of both compositions, including the region of the Curie point, does not exceed 0.4%. The temperature dependence of the magnetization M(T) of both compositions exhibits a complicated character; indeed, for T ≤ 15 K, it is characteristic of superparamagnets, while for T > 15 K, spontaneous magnetization appears which correspond to a decreased magnetic moment per formula unit as compared to that which would be observed upon complete ferromagnetic ordering of Mn2+ spins or antiferromagnetic ordering of spins of the Mn2+ and Mn3+ ions. Thus, for T > 15 K, it is a frustrated ferro- or ferrimagnet. It is found that, unlike the conventional superparamagnets, the cluster moment μ c in these compositions depends on the magnetic field: ∼12000–20000μB for H = 0.1 kOe, ∼52–55μB for H = 11 kOe, and ∼8.6–11.0μB at H = 50 kOe for the compositions with 1 and 2 wt % Mn, respectively. The specific features of the magnetic properties are explained by the competition between the carrier-mediated exchange and superexchange interactions.