Reducing influence of antiferromagnetic interactions on ferromagnetic properties of p-(Cd,Mn)Te quantum wells

TL;DR

This paper investigates how antiferromagnetic interactions affect ferromagnetic properties in p-(Cd,Mn)Te quantum wells, showing that delta-like Mn ion distribution enhances remanence and coercivity.

Contribution

It demonstrates that placing Mn ions in a delta-like distribution within quantum wells reduces antiferromagnetic effects, improving ferromagnetic properties.

Findings

Delta-like Mn distribution increases remanence and coercivity.

Antiferromagnetic interactions are mitigated by localized Mn placement.

Monte Carlo simulations confirm improved magnetic behavior.

Abstract

In order to explain the absence of hysteresis in ferromagnetic p-type (Cd,Mn)Te quantum wells (QWs), spin dynamics was previously investigated by Monte Carlo simulations combining the Metropolis algorithm with the determination of hole eigenfunctions at each Monte Carlo sweep. Short-range antiferromagnetic superexchange interactions between Mn spins - which compete with the hole-mediated long-range ferromagnetic coupling - were found to accelerate magnetization dynamics if the the layer containing Mn spins is wider than the vertical range of the hole wave function. Employing this approach it is shown here that appreciate magnitudes of remanence and coercivity can be obtained if Mn ions are introduced to the quantum well in a delta-like fashion.