Publication details for Dr Aidan Hindmarch

Wang, M., Rushforth, A.W., Hindmarch, A.T., Campion, R.P., Edmonds, K.W., Staddon, C.R., Foxon, C.T. & Gallagher, B.L. (2013). Magnetic and structural properties of (Ga,Mn)As/(Al,Ga,Mn)As bilayer films. Applied Physics Letters 102(11): 112404.

• Publication type: Journal Article
• ISSN/ISBN: 0003-6951, 1077-3118
• DOI: 10.1063/1.4795444
• Keywords: Annealing, Interstitial defects, Semiconductor growth, Etching, Magnetic anisotropy.
• Further publication details on publisher web site
• Durham Research Online (DRO) - may include full text

Author(s) from Durham

• Dr Aidan Hindmarch

Abstract

We investigate the dependence of the magnetic and structural properties of (Ga,Mn)As/(Al,Ga,Mn)As bilayer films on the stoichiometry of the interface region. For films incorporating a thin As-deficient layer at the interface, the out-diffusion of interstitial Mn from the bottom layer is strongly suppressed, resulting in a large difference in T C and magnetic anisotropy between the two layers. X-ray reflectivity measurements show that the suppression of interstitial diffusion is correlated with an increased interface roughness. When the As-deficient interface layer is thicker than 2.5 nm, the in-plane uniaxial magnetic easy axis rotates from the [1-10] to the [110] crystalline axis.