Molecular Beam Epitaxy Growth of Ferromagnetic MnSb on InGaSb: Characterization of Orientation, Interfaces, and Magnetic Properties

ORAL

Abstract

Ferromagnets compatible with high spin-orbit coupling III-V semiconductors (InAs, InSb) can be used for spin injection, breaking the spin degeneracy in 1D nanowire systems with the potential for creating Majorana Zero Modes.1 The transition metal monopnictide MnSb is a hexagonal ferromagnet with a high Curie temperature and is the most Sb-rich binary phase, suggesting high thermodynamic stability in contact with InGaSb. Although MnSb has been grown on III-V substrates, here a new growth orientation has been observed with the c-axis perpendicular to the growth plane. In-situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction and ex-situ high resolution X-ray diffraction were used to determine that the films are oriented as (10-10)[0001][-12-10] MnSb||(001)[1-10][110] InGaSb. Superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry was used to determine that the magnetic easy axis lies along the c axis of the MnSb, while the hard axis lies in the basal plane. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the growth techniques presented allow us to grow MnSb on a high spin-orbit coupling III-V ternary semiconductor with a relatively abrupt interface, in comparison to MnSb films grown on InGaAs.2

1Nano Lett. 20, 3232 (2020).

2J. Cryst. Growth, 498, 391 (2018).

*This work was supported by DOE, award DE-SC0019274 and made use of the MRL Shared Experimental Facilities, a member of the NSF-funded Materials Research Facilities Network supported by the MRSEC Program of the NSF under Award No. DMR 1720256.

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Presenters

  • Connor P Dempsey

    • University of California, Santa Barbara
    • Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
    • University of California in Santa Barbara
    • University of California Santa Barbara

Authors

  • Connor P Dempsey

    • University of California, Santa Barbara
    • Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
    • University of California in Santa Barbara
    • University of California Santa Barbara

  • Jason T Dong

    • Materials Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA

  • Hadass S Inbar

    • University of California, Santa Barbara

  • Aaron N Engel

    • Materials Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA

  • Aranya Goswami

    • University of California, Santa Barbara

  • Yu-Hao Chang

    • Materials Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA

  • Shinichi Nishihaya

    • University of California, Santa Barbara

  • Vlad S Pribiag

    • University of Minnesota

  • Chris J Palmstrom

    • University of California, Santa Barbara