Light and Electric Field Control of Ferromagnetism in Magnetic Quantum Structures

H. Boukari; P. Kossacki; M. Bertolini; D. Ferrand; J. Cibert; S. Tatarenko; A. Wasiela; J. A. Gaj; T. Dietl

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.88.207204

Light and Electric Field Control of Ferromagnetism in Magnetic Quantum Structures

H. Boukari, P. Kossacki, M. Bertolini, D. Ferrand, J. Cibert, S. Tatarenko, A. Wasiela, J. A. Gaj, and T. Dietl

Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 207204 – Published 2 May 2002

Abstract

A strong influence of illumination and electric bias on the Curie temperature and saturation value of the magnetization is demonstrated for semiconductor structures containing a modulation-doped p-type ${Cd}_{0.96} {Mn}_{0.04} Te$ quantum well placed in various built-in electric fields. It is shown that both light beam and bias voltage generate an isothermal and reversible crossover between the paramagnetic and ferromagnetic phases, in the way that is predetermined by the structure design. The observed behavior is in quantitative agreement with the expectations for systems, in which ferromagnetic interactions are mediated by the weakly disordered two-dimensional hole liquid.

Received 28 November 2001

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.88.207204

Authors & Affiliations

H. Boukari¹, P. Kossacki^1,2, M. Bertolini¹, D. Ferrand¹, J. Cibert¹, S. Tatarenko¹, A. Wasiela¹, J. A. Gaj², and T. Dietl^1,3

¹Laboratoire de Spectrométrie Physique, Université Joseph Fourier Grenoble 1–CNRS (UMR 55 88), BP 87, F-38402 Saint Martin d'Hères Cedex, France
²Institute of Experimental Physics, Warsaw University, Hoża 69, PL-00-681 Warszawa, Poland
³Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, PL-02-668 Warszawa, Poland