Spin-polarized electronic structure of the core-shell ZnO/ZnO:Mn nanowires probed by x-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy

TL;DR

This study combines x-ray spectroscopy and theoretical analysis to investigate the magnetic phases and electronic structure of ZnO/ZnO:Mn nanowires, revealing coexistence of paramagnetic and antiferromagnetic states with detailed atomic insights.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of the magnetic and electronic properties of Mn-doped ZnO nanowires using advanced spectroscopic techniques and theoretical modeling, highlighting phase coexistence and substitutional doping effects.

Findings

Over 90% of Mn atoms substitute Zn in the shell

Coexistence of paramagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases identified

Spin magnetic moments close to theoretical values

Abstract

The combination of x-ray spectroscopy methods complemented with theoretical analysis unravels the coexistence of paramagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases in the Zn_0.9Mn_0.1O shell deposited onto array of wurtzite ZnO nanowires. The shell is crystalline with orientation toward the ZnO growth axis, as demonstrated by X-ray linear dichroism. EXAFS analysis confirmed that more than 90% of Mn atoms substituted Zn in the shell while fraction of secondary phases was below 10%. The value of manganese spin magnetic moment was estimated from the Mn K{\beta} X-ray emission spectroscopy to be 4.3{\mu}B which is close to the theoretical value for substitutional Mn_Zn. However the analysis of L_2,3 x-ray magnetic circular dichroism data showed paramagnetic behaviour with saturated spin magnetic moment value of 1.95{\mu}B as determined directly from the spin sum rule. After quantitative analysis employing atomic multiplet simulations such difference was explained by a coexistence of paramagnetic phase and local antiferromagnetic coupling of Mn magnetic moments. Finally, spin-polarized electron density of states was probed by the spin-resolved Mn K-edge XANES spectroscopy and consequently analyzed by band structure calculations.