Cluster altered magnetic and transport properties in Ge1−x−yMnxEuyTe

Abstract

Magnetic and transport properties of Ge1−x−yMnxEuyTe crystals with chemical compositions 0.041 ≤ x ≤ 0.092 and 0.010 ≤ y ≤ 0.043 are studied. Ferromagnetic order is observed at 150 < T < 160 K. Aggregation of magnetic ions into clusters is found to be the source of almost constant, composition independent Curie temperatures in our samples. Magnetotransport studies show that below 25 K there is a negative magnetoresistance, which is not linear and has a minimum and above 60 K the magnetoresistance is positive and linear. Negative magnetoresistance detected at T < 25 K is found to be due to a tunneling of spin-polarized electrons between ferromagnetic clusters. A linear positive magnetoresistance is identified to be a geometrical effect related to the presence of ferromagnetic clusters inside the semiconductor matrix. The product of the polarization constant (P) and the inter-grain exchange constant (J), JP, varies between about 0.13 meV and 0.99 meV. A strong anomalous Hall effect is observed for T ≤ TC, where TC is the Curie temperature, with coefficients RS independent of temperature. The scaling analysis of the AHE leads to a conclusion that this effect is due to a skew scattering mechanism.