Analysis of magnetic properties of A3B6 type of semiconductor crystals with metalic impurities due to their military applications

Abstract

The Earth's magnetic field is affected by the presence of heavy military armored vehicles which creates an additional magnetic moment. This distortion of the magnetic field, can be detected using magnetoresistive structures. This article touches base on the possibility of using semiconductor material such as InSe for high precision measurement of the magnetic field. The properties of InSe structures with regard to electrical, magnetic and optical characteristics are discussed. The effect of sharp anisotropy of InSe layered structure which consists in the strong covalent bond within the layers and a weak van-der-Waals bond in the interlayer space is discussed with regard to the explanation of how electrical, magnetic and optical properties are altered. The peculiarity of the spatial orientation of the material with regard to the direction of the magnetic field is considered. The impact of intercalation of InSe, GaSe by various concentrations of metal impurities such as nickel and other elements of 3d iron group is studied. Bode diagrams for pure InSe system are compared with the ones of NixInSe (for various x values). Also the effect of different temperatures ranging from room temperature to liquid nitrogen on the pattern of Bode diagrams is analyzed. The extent of how the magnetic properties of semiconductor crystals of the A3B6 type are altered by the presence of the metal impurities and their concentration is analyzed. Theoretic background for this paper is based on a well-known statement that layer structures such InSe or other A3B6 structures can be viewed as quasi two-dimensional. So, layers with strong covalent bond are formed by In-Se atoms, whereas interlayer space is filled with a weak Van der Waals bond. Within this model the processes across the layers can be described as a perturbation to the ones along the layers. This causes a strong anisotropy of the properties of these structures. Military implication of InSe structures mentioned throughout this paper is that these structures possess magnetoresistive properties and they were proved to be useful for the components of the magnetic sensors of civil and military use. This paper also touches base on how the InSe semiconductor crystals intercalated by 3d-elements can extend the functionality of magnetic sensors designed for heavy armor detection.