Chalcopyrite semimagnetic semiconductors: From nanocomposite to homogeneous material

Currently, complex ferromagnetic semiconductor systems are of significant interest due to their potential applicability in spintronics. A key feature in order to use semiconductor materials in spintronics is the presence of room temperature ferromagnetism. This feature was recently observed and is intensively studied in several Mn-alloyed II-IV-V2 group diluted magnetic semiconductor systems. The paper reviews the origin of room temperature ferromagnetism in II-IV-V2 compounds. In view of our recent reports the room temperature ferromagnetism in Mn-alloyed chalcopyrite semiconductors with more than 5 molar % of Mn is due to the presence of MnAs clusters. The solubility of magnetic impurities in bulk II-IV-V2 materials is of the order of a few percent, depending on the alloy composition. High values of the conducting hole - Mn ion exchange constant Jpd have significant value equal to 0.75 eV for Zn0.997Mn0.003GeAs2. The sample quality has significant effect on the magnetotransport of the alloy. The magnetoresistance of the alloy change main physical mechanism from spin-disorder scattering and weak localization for homogeneous samples to cluster-related geometrical effect observed for nanocomposite samples. The magnetoresistance of the II-IV-V2 alloys can be then tuned up to a few hundreds of percent via changes of the chemical composition of the alloy as well as a degree of disorder present in a material.