Compensation-dependence of magnetic and electrical properties in Ga1-xMnxP

TL;DR

This paper investigates how introducing compensating vacancies in Ga1-xMnxP affects its magnetic and electrical properties, revealing a correlation between hole concentration, Curie temperature, and conduction mechanism, with implications for spintronic materials.

Contribution

It demonstrates control over hole concentration in Ga1-xMnxP and links this to magnetic and electrical property changes, highlighting variable-range hopping as the conduction mechanism.

Findings

Curie temperature decreases from 51 K to 7.5 K with compensation.

Resistivity increases by orders of magnitude due to hole localization.

Variable-range hopping dominates hole conduction in compensated Ga1-xMnxP.

Abstract

We demonstrate the control of the hole concentration in Ga1-xMnxP over a wide range by introducing compensating vacancies. The resulting evolution of the Curie temperature from 51 K to 7.5 K is remarkably similar to that observed in Ga1-xMnxAs despite the dramatically different character of hole transport between the two material systems. The highly localized nature of holes in Ga1-xMnxP is reflected in the accompanying increase in resistivity by many orders of magnitude. Based on variable-temperature resistivity data we present a general picture for hole conduction in which variable-range hopping is the dominant transport mechanism in the presence of compensation.