Thermoelectric studies of electronic properties of ferromagnetic GaMnAs layers

Abstract

Thermoelectric power, electrical conductivity, and high field Hall effect were studied over a broad temperature range in ferromagnetic Ga₁₋xMnxAs epitaxial layers (0.015 ≤ x ≤ 0.06). Thermoelectric power analysis gives information about carrier transport mechanisms in layers with both metallic and non-metallic types of conductivity and allows determination of the Fermi energy and carrier concentration. At high temperatures (T > 70 K), the thermoelectric power in GaMnAs linearly increases with increasing temperature. That indicates the presence of a degenerate hole gas with the Fermi energy EF = 220 ± 25 meV, nearly independent of Mn content (for 0.02 ≤ x ≤ 0.05). At lower temperatures, GaMnAs layers with metallic-type conductivity show an additional contribution to the thermoelectric power with the maximum close to the Curie temperature.