Dislocation Magnetism of the GaSb〈Mn〉 Semiconductor

Abstract

The GaSb〈Mn〉 magnetic semiconductor has been studied using the visualization and analysis of electron-microscopic images of the material, an approach widely used in practice in making ultrastrong permanent magnets based on metallic alloys. The role of columnar magnetic crystals is assigned to manganese-decorated dislocations, and the role of a nonmagnetic matrix is played by the GaSb compound semiconductor. The material synthesized in this study has been characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and magnetic measurements. The magnetization of a polished transverse section of GaSb〈Mn〉 has been analyzed as a function of the angle it makes with the magnetic flux direction and as a function of temperature in the range 4–300 K.