X-Ray Magnetic Dichroism in the Cobalt-Doped Indium Tin Oxide from First Principle Calculations

V N Antonov,L P Germash,N A Plotnikov,L V Bekenov

doi:10.1155/2013/213594

Abstract

The electronic structure of the Co-doped indium tin oxide (ITO) diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMSs) were investigated theoretically from first principles, using the fully relativistic Dirac linear muffin-tin orbital band structure method. The X-ray absorption spectra (XAS) and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) spectra at the Co L3, In M2, Sn M2, and O K edges were investigated theoretically from first principles. The origin of the XMCD spectra in these compounds was examined. The calculated results are compared with available experimental data.

Highlights

Spintronics or spin-transport electronics has attracted much of attention due to its technologically potential applications
We focus our attention on X-ray absorption spectra (XAS) as well as X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) in Co-doped indium tin oxide (ITO) diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMSs)
In this work we present first principles calculations of the electronic structure, XAS and XMCD spectra at the Co L2,3, In and Sn M2,3, and O K edges in the Co doped ITO

Summary

Introduction

Spintronics or spin-transport electronics has attracted much of attention due to its technologically potential applications. Similar to its parent indium oxide, ITO is generally nonstoichiometric with respect to oxygen It shows a rather high electrical conductivity, arising from a large electron concentration, which follows from doping with Sn and from the presence of oxygen vacancies. Since it exhibits technologically important properties, ITO is a widely studied material [16,17,18]. No XMCD could be detected at the In M2 or Sn M2 edge, excluding the presence of a large magnetic polarization of the In and Sn sublattices They suggest that the ferromagnetism in Co-doped ITO is not related to the 3d electronic states.

Computational Details

Results and Discussion

Summary