Synthesis and magnetic properties of manganese-doped GaP nanowires

Abstract

We characterized the structure and magnetic properties of Mn-incorporated GaP nanowires synthesized by thermal evaporation of GaP/Mn powders. The nanowires consist of twin-crystal line zinc blende GaP grown with the [111] direction and doped with about 1 at. % Mn. They are often sheathed with the bumpy amorphous outerlayers containing high concentrations of Mn and O. The ferromagnetic hysteresis curves at 5 and 300 K and temperature-dependent magnetization provide evidence for the ferromagnetism with the Curie temperature higher than room temperature. Magnetic properties of individual nanowires have been measured, showing a large negative magnetoresistance equal to about -5% at 5 K. We suggest that the Mn doping of GaP nanowires would form a dilute magnetic semiconductor.