Two-dimensional metastable magnetic semiconductor structures

Abstract

Metastable zinc-blende MnSe has been grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The magnetic semiconductor has been incorporated into three novel superlattice structures which include a binary ZnSe/MnSe superlattice, a comb superlattice, and a ZnSe/(Zn,Mn)Se superlattice structure consisting of ZnSe wells perturbed by the insertion of ultrathin layers (two to three monolayers) of MnSe. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction and transmission electron microscopy reveal the zinc-blende crystal structure of the MnSe layers. Preliminary optical measurements show agreement with anticipated exciton emission energies; such spectra show large magnetic field induced shifts indicating that, although MnSe is antiferromagnetic, these ‘‘two-dimensional’’ magnetic sheets exhibit paramagnetic behavior.