Resistivity and Anomalous Hall Effect of Ga$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$As

Diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS) are compounds in which there is a non magnetic semiconductor host doped with a small concentration of a magnetic element. DMS thin films are being investigated for their potential as spintronic devices that would utilize both the spin and charge properties of the electrons in a single material. Resistivity and Hall effect measurements were made on varying thicknesses of Ga$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$As thin film samples through a temperature range of 10K-300K. The influence of the spin of the manganese ions is clearly evident in the electrical transport properties. The obtained data was compared to a model for the anomalous Hall Effect in these materials in an attempt to extract the free hole concentration. Funded by the Henry Luce Foundation and Research Corporation.