Optical Properties of III-Mn-V Ferromagnetic Semiconductors

TL;DR

This review summarizes a decade of optical research on III-Mn-V ferromagnetic semiconductors, highlighting how Mn doping influences their electronic, magnetic, and optical properties for potential spin-optoelectronic applications.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of optical studies revealing the unconventional doping behavior and the role of hybridization in these magnetic semiconductors.

Findings

Mn introduces holes and local moments leading to carrier-mediated ferromagnetism.

The metal-insulator transition is governed by hybridization strength between Mn and p-nictogen.

Optical methods reveal the evolution of electronic states at the Fermi energy with doping.

Abstract

We review the first decade of extensive optical studies of ferromagnetic, III-Mn-V diluted magnetic semiconductors. Mn introduces holes and local moments to the III-V host, which can result in carrier mediated ferromagnetism in these disordered semiconductors. Spectroscopic experiments provide direct access to the strength and nature of the exchange between holes and local moments; the degree of itineracy of the carriers; and the evolution of the states at the Fermi energy with doping. Taken together, diversity of optical methods reveal that Mn is an unconventional dopant, in that the metal to insulator transition is governed by the strength of the hybridization between Mn and its p-nictogen neighbor. The interplay between the optical, electronic and magnetic properties of III-Mn-V magnetic semiconductors is of fundamental interest and may enable future spin-optoelectronic devices.