Spin interactions in diluted magnetic semiconductors and magnetic semiconductor structures

Abstract

The spin-dependent interactions in diluted magnetic semiconductors are reviewed. The non-trivial dependence of the p-d and the d-d exchange interactions, which rule the magnetic properties of these materials, on the electronic configuration of the magnetic ions is presented. Depending on the occupation numbers in the ionic d shell and the position of the d level with respect to the bands, both the kinetic exchange and the superexchange can lead to antiferromagnetic, ferromagnetic Kondo-like interactions or even orbital dependent, sensitive to Jahn-Teller distortion couplings. Finally, the interactions explaining the ferromagnetism in III-V and p-II-VI with Mn ions, the magnetic properties in semiconductor quantum wells and the interlayer spin correlations in magnetic/non-magnetic semiconductor superlattices are discussed.