Adjacent Fe-Vacancy Interactions as the Origin of Room Temperature Ferromagnetism in $({\mathrm{In}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{x}{)}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$

Adjacent Fe-Vacancy Interactions as the Origin of Room Temperature Ferromagnetism in $({In}_{1 - x} {Fe}_{x})_{2} O_{3}$

R. J. Green, T. Z. Regier, B. Leedahl, J. A. McLeod, X. H. Xu, G. S. Chang, E. Z. Kurmaev, and A. Moewes

Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 167401 – Published 14 October 2015

Abstract

Dilute magnetic semiconductors (DMSs) show great promise for applications in spin-based electronics, but in most cases continue to elude explanations of their magnetic behavior. Here, we combine quantitative x-ray spectroscopy and Anderson impurity model calculations to study ferromagnetic Fe-substituted ${In}_{2} O_{3}$ films, and we identify a subset of Fe atoms adjacent to oxygen vacancies in the crystal lattice which are responsible for the observed room temperature ferromagnetism. Using resonant inelastic x-ray scattering, we map out the near gap electronic structure and provide further support for this conclusion. Serving as a concrete verification of recent theoretical results and indirect experimental evidence, these results solidify the role of impurity-vacancy coupling in oxide-based DMSs.

Received 6 May 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.167401

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Ferromagnetism Vacancies

Magnetic semiconductors Oxides

Anderson impurity model Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

R. J. Green^1,*, T. Z. Regier², B. Leedahl¹, J. A. McLeod^1,†, X. H. Xu³, G. S. Chang¹, E. Z. Kurmaev^4,5, and A. Moewes¹

¹Department of Physics & Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada
²Canadian Light Source, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0X4, Canada
³School of Chemistry & Materials Science, Shanxi Normal University, Linfen 041004, People’s Republic of China
⁴M. N. Mikheev Institute of Metal Physics of the Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 620990 Yekaterinburg, Russia
⁵Ural Federal University, 19 Mira Street, 620002 Yekaterinburg, Russia

^*robert.green@usask.ca Present address: Quantum Matter Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, V6T 1Z1.
^†Present address: College of Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, 199 Ren-Ai Rd., Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China.