Zn1-x(Mn,Co)xGeAs2 Ferromagnetic Semiconductor: Magnetic and Transport Properties

L. Kilanski a, M. Gorska a, V. Domukhovski a, W. Dobrowolski a, J.R. Anderson b, C.R. Rotundu b, S.A. Varniavskii c and S.F. Marenkin c a Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. Lotników 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland b Department of Physics & Center for Nanophysics and Advanced Materials, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA c Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry RAS, 119991 Moscow, Russia

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Received: 7 06 2008;

We present the studies of magnetic and transport properties of the bulk Zn1-x(Mn,Co)xGeAs2 mixed crystals with 0.052 ≤ x ≤ 0.182 grown using direct fusion method. Magnetic investigations showed that for samples with x ≥ 0.078 we observed a behavior typical of ferromagnets, with the Curie temperatures TC ≥ 300 K. The observed ferromagnetism was probably connected with the spinodal decomposition of the Mn ions in the alloy. The transport studies including resistivity and Hall effect (at B=1.4 T) were performed. The samples showed p-type conductivity with semiconducting or metallic character, depending on the alloy composition. The Hall carrier concentration, p ≥ 1018 cm-3, was composition dependent.

DOI: 10.12693/APhysPolA.114.1151 PACS numbers: 72.20.Fr, 72.80.Ga, 75.50.Pp, 75.40.Cx