Transition temperature of ferromagnetic semiconductors: a dynamical mean field study

We formulate a theory of doped magnetic semiconductors such as Ga$_{1-x}$Mn$_x$As which have attracted recent attention for their possible use in spintronic applications. We solve the theory in the dynamical mean field approximation to find the magnetic transition temperature $T_c$ as a function of magnetic coupling strength $J$ and carrier density $n$. We find that $T_c$ is determined by a subtle interplay between carrier density and magnetic coupling.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Global versus Local Ferromagnetism in a Model for Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors Studied with Monte Carlo Techniques

A model recently introduced for diluted magnetic semiconductors by Berciu and Bhatt (PRL 87, 107203 (2001)) is studied with a Monte Carlo technique, and the results are compared to Hartree-Fock calculations. For doping rates close to the experimentally observed metal-insulator transition, a picture dominated by ferromagnetic droplets formed below a T* scale emerges. The moments of these droplets align as the temperature is lowered below a critical value Tc<T*. Our Monte Carlo investigations provide critical temperatures considerably smaller than Hartree-Fock predictions. Disorder does not seem to enhance ferromagnetism substantially. The inhomogeneous droplet state should be strongly susceptible to changes in doping and external fields.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Theory of Magnetic Properties and Spin-Wave Dispersion for Ferromagnetic (Ga,Mn)As

We present a microscopic theory of the long-wavelength magnetic properties of the ferromagnetic diluted magnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As. Details of the host semiconductor band structure, described by a six-band Kohn-Luttinger Hamiltonian, are taken into account. We relate our quantum-mechanical calculation to the classical micromagnetic energy functional and determine anisotropy energies and exchange constants. We find that the exchange constant is substantially enhanced compared to the case of a parabolic heavy-hole-band model.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure

Critical point and scale setting in SU(3) plasma: An update

We explore a method developed in statistical physics which has been argued to have exponentially small finite-volume effects, in order to determine the critical temperature Tc of pure SU(3) gauge theory close to the continuum limit. The method allows us to estimate the critical coupling betac of the Wilson action for temporal extents up to Nt ~ 20 with < 0.1% uncertainties. Making use of the scale setting parameters r0 and sqrt{t0} in the same range of beta-values, these results lead to the independent continuum extrapolations Tc r0 = 0.7457(45) and Tc sqrt{t0} = 0.2489(14), with the latter originating from a more convincing fit. Inserting a conversion of r0 from literature (unfortunately with much larger errors) yields Tc / LambdaMSbar = 1.24(10).Comment: 12 pages. v2: clarifications and references added, published versio

Phase Separation in A-site Ordered Perovskite Manganite LaBaMn2_2O6_6 Probed by 139^{139}La and 55^{55}Mn NMR

$^{139}$La- and $^{55}$Mn-NMR spectra demonstrate that the ground state of the A-site ordered perovskite manganite LaBaMn$_2$O$_6$ is a spatial mixture of the ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFI(CE)) regions, which are assigned to the metallic and the insulating charge ordered state, respectively. This exotic coexisting state appears below 200 K via a first-order-like formation of the AFI(CE) state inside the FM one. Mn spin-spin relaxation rate indicates that the FM region coexisting with the AFI(CE) one in LaBaMn$_2$O$_6$ is identical to the bulk FM phase of the disordered form La$_{0.5}$Ba$_{0.5}$MnO$_3$ in spite of the absence of A-site disorder. This suggests mesoscopic rather than nanoscopic nature of FM region in LaBaMn$_2$O$_6$\@.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev. Let

Theory of Ferromagnetism in Diluted Magnetic Semiconductor Quantum Wells

We present a mean field theory of ferromagnetism in diluted magnetic semiconductor quantum wells. When subband mixing due to exchange interactions between quantum well free carriers and magnetic impurities is neglected, analytic result can be obtained for the dependence of the critical temperature and the spontaneous magnetization on the distribution of magnetic impurities and the quantum well width. The validity of this approximate theory has been tested by comparing its predictions with those from numerical self-consistent field calculations. Interactions among free carriers, accounted for using the local-spin-density approximation, substantially enhance the critical temperature. We demonstrate that an external bias potential can tune the critical temperature through a wide range.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Field Effect Magnetization Reversal in Ferromagnetic Semiconductor Quantum Wells

We predict that a novel bias-voltage assisted magnetization reversal process will occur in Mn doped II-VI semiconductor quantum wells or heterojunctions with carrier induced ferromagnetism. The effect is due to strong exchange-coupling induced subband mixing that leads to electrically tunable hysteresis loops. Our model calculations are based on the mean-field theory of carrier induced ferromagnetism in Mn-doped quantum wells and on a semi-phenomenological description of the host II-VI semiconductor valence bands.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure