Spin-Disorder Scattering and Magnetoresistance of Magnetic Semiconductors

Abstract

The consequences of a simple type of exchange interaction between free charge carriers in a broad energy band and localized magnetic moments are discussed. The interaction causes a splitting of the energy bands into bands for the two spin directions. It also leads to spin-disorder scattering of the charge carriers. The temperature dependence of the mobility is calculated for ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic semiconductors. Expressions are given for the magnetoresistance of ferromagnetic semiconductors.