Exchange anisotropy, disorder and frustration in diluted, predominantly ferromagnetic, Heisenberg spin systems

Motivated by the recent suggestion of anisotropic effective exchange interactions between Mn spins in Ga$_{1-x}$Mn$_x$As (arising as a result of spin-orbit coupling), we study their effects in diluted Heisenberg spin systems. We perform Monte Carlo simulations on several phenomenological model spin Hamiltonians, and investigate the extent to which frustration induced by anisotropic exchanges can reduce the low temperature magnetization in these models and the interplay of this effect with disorder in the exchange. In a model with low coordination number and purely ferromagnetic (FM) exchanges, we find that the low temperature magnetization is gradually reduced as exchange anisotropy is turned on. However, as the connectivity of the model is increased, the effect of small-to-moderate anisotropy is suppressed, and the magnetization regains its maximum saturation value at low temperatures unless the distribution of exchanges is very wide. To obtain significant suppression of the low temperature magnetization in a model with high connectivity, as is found for long-range interactions, we find it necessary to have both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic (AFM) exchanges (e.g. as in the RKKY interaction). This implies that disorder in the sign of the exchange interaction is much more effective in suppressing magnetization at low temperatures than exchange anisotropy.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure

Spin-fluctuation mediated high-temperature ferromagnetism in Si:Mn dilute magnetic semiconductors

We discuss a possible route to explain high-temperature ferromagnetism in Si:Mn dilute magnetic semiconductors. We argue that most Mn atoms are segregated within nanometer-sized regions of magnetic precipitate and form the alloy, or compound, MnSi 2 -z with z ≈ (0.25 $\div$ 0.30), whereas a small minority of Mn atoms forms Ångström-sized magnetic defects embedded in the host. Assuming that MnSi 2 -z is a weak itinerant ferromagnet which supports sizable spin fluctuations (paramagnons) far above the intrinsic Curie temperature, we show that the Stoner enhancement of the exchange interaction between the local magnetic moments of the defects occurs. As a result, a significant increase of the temperature of global ferromagnetic order in the system is achieved. We develop a phenomenological approach, to qualitatively describe this effect. Copyright EDP Sciences, SIF, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010