Plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy of wurtzite GaMnN displaying ferromagnetism assessed by means of X-ray magnetic circular dichroism

We report on the optimization of the growth conditions of wurtzite GaMnN grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy in order to obtain intrinsic ferromagnetic behavior. By growing with a Ga/N ratio lower than unity and by introduction of periodic growth interruptions, we succeed in synthesizing single-phase GaMnN epilayers containing up to 6.3 at.% of Mn. The structural quality of the GaMnN epilayer and the absence of secondary phases are demonstrated by means of X-ray diffraction experiments and X-ray linear dichroism measurements performed at the Mn and Ga K-edges. The intrinsic ferromagnetism for 6.3 at.% of Mn in our GaMnN epilayer is demonstrated by means of magnetization measurements in a 5 T Quantum Design superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism investigations performed at the K-edge of Mn. The Curie temperature thus determined is equal to 8 K and a spontaneous magnetic moment of 2.4 mu(B) per Mn atom is found at 2 K. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.