Effect of reduced lateral dimensions on the optical and magnetic properties of dilute magnetic and antiferromagnetic nanowires

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Michael Fröba; Professor Dr. Wolfram Heimbrodt
• Subject Area: Physical Chemistry of Solids and Surfaces, Material Characterisation ; Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: from 2004 to 2011
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5428761

It is the aim of the project to synthesise extended, highly ordered arrays of magnetic and nonmagnetic semiconductor nanowires. The project is a close cooperation between the group of the applicant at the Department of Chemistry of the Justus-Liebig University in Gießen (part A of the project) and the group of the applicants at the Department of Physics of the Philipps-University of Marburg (part B of the project). The films of magnetic nanowires based on (Ga,Mn)As and (Ga,Mn)P compounds will be synthesised in Gießen. The magnetic, galvanomagnetic and magneto-optical spectroscopic studies will be carried out in Marburg. The magnetic and nonmagnetic semiconductor wire arrays will be prepared by incorporating (Ga,Mn)As and (Ga,Mn)P into mesoporous SiO2 template films with either a parallel arrangement of tube-like pores or a cubic grid of tube-like pores. The pore diameter can be adjusted by varying the synthesis conditions. Depending on the type of pore arrangement either non-interacting wires or interacting wires will be obtained after incorporation of the semiconductor. The template films will be synthesised on Si as well as on glass substrates. The electronic, optical and magnetic properties of the wire systems will be studied by magneto-optical spectroscopy and magneto-transport techniques. At the first stage of the project the characterisation will have accompanying character aiming at optimising the wire arrays. After the optimisation, we will aim at studying confinement effects in the wire structures. In the long run we want to focus on modifications of the rich magnetic phase diagrams of (Ga,Mn)As and (Ga,Mn)P due to reduced dimensions and possible applications in magneto-electronic and spintronic devices.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1165: Nanowires and Nanotubes: From Controlled Synthesis to Functions
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Peter J. Klar