NEUTRON DIFFRACTION STUDIES OF

Zn1-xMnxTe AND Cd1-xMnxTe SINGLE CRYSTALS

T. Giebultowicz, J. Rhyne, J. Furdyna, R. Galazka

To cite this version:

T. Giebultowicz, J. Rhyne, J. Furdyna, R. Galazka. NEUTRON DIFFRACTION STUDIES OF Zn1-
xMnxTe AND Cd1-xMnxTe SINGLE CRYSTALS. Journal de Physique Colloques, 1988, 49 (C8),
pp.C8-1199-C8-1200. �10.1051/jphyscol:19888544�. �jpa-00228755�

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 JOURNAL DE PHYSIQUE
Colloque C8, Suppl6ment au no 12, Tome 49, decembre 1988

NEUTRON DIFFRACTION STUDIES OF Znl-,Mn,Te AND Cdl-,Mn,Te SINGLE

CRYSTALS
T. M. Giebultowicz (I' 2), J. J. Rhyne (2), J. K. Furdyna (I) and R. R. Galaka (3)
(I) University of Notre Dame, Notre Dane, IN 46556, U.S.A.
(2) National B u m u of Standards, Gaithersbzcrg, MD 20899, U.S.A.
(3) Instititute of Physics, Polish Academy of Science, al. Lotnihow 32/46, 02-668, Warsaw, Poland
Abstract. - We report single crystal neutron diffraction data for Znl-,MnxTe and Cdl-xMn,Te which show that
the magnetic correlation length anisotropy in these systems is not caused by structure imperfections. Results of K ( T )
measurements in Cdl-,MnxTe are discussed in context of the latest ac susceptibility studies of this system.

Cubic structure diluted magnetic semiconductors
Znl-,Mn,Te and Cdl-,Mn,Te are interesting pro-
totypes of disordered Heisenberg antiferromagnets.
The materials can be obtained in a stable zinc-
blende crystallographic form up to Mn concentra-
tions x = 0.70. In both systems the ~ n + +ions
form diluted fcc spin lattices with primarily nearest-
neighbor (NN) antiferromagnetic (AF) exchange cou-
pling (JNNN / JNN = 0.1). At low T the materials ex-
hibit the expected Type 111AF ordering; however, due
t o a strong lattice frustration these correlations remain
of a short range within the entire x 5 0.70 range [I].
An intriguing feature of this ordering is its anisotropic
character. This effect can be clearly seen in neutron
diffraction experiments on single crystals as an asym-
metry of the diffuse magnetic scattering about the su-
perstructure points. In two recent papers [Z] we have
presented an interpretation of this phenomenon based
on considerations of the exchange coupling in a per-
fect Type I11 structure. This structure has a tetrag-
onal symmetry [3], corresponding to doubling of the
chemical unit cell along one of the cubic axes. Spins
in the (100)-type planes perpendicular to this direc-
tion are antiferromagnetically ordered. On the other
hand, the NN interactions between the adjacent planes
sum up to zero, and interplanar coupling is main-
tained only by the weaker NNN interactions. Thus,
if the long-range order is destroyed by dilution, one
can expect the residual spin order within the planes
to be of a longer range (<I)than that perpendicular
to the planes (ti,). Support for this interpretation has
been obtained from numerical simulations of equilib-
rium configuration in model lattices using the method
developed by Ching and Huber [4]. Structure factors
S (Q) calculated on the basis of such simulations were
found to reproduce well the lineshape anisotropy ob-
served in Cd0.3sMno.ssTe [Z].
An alternative interpretation has been proposed by
Steingerberger et al. [5] who performed independent
experiments on a crystal with the same composition.
Briefly, these authors pointed out that Cdl-,Mn,Te
crystals with high x usually exhibit a large number of
twinned planes, and may therefore acquire a pseude
hexagonal symmetry. This imperfection, it was ar-
gued, may lead to an uniaxial distortion, and to a
change in the Mn-Mn bond lengths, which could pro-
duce an anisotropy in the Mn-Mn exchange and asym-
metry of the magnetic scattering.
The interpretation of Steingerberger et al. may
stir doubts as to the correctness of the aforemen-
tioned numerical simulation method that has been em-
ployed in studies of spin dynamics in Znl-,Mn,Te and
Znl-,Mn,Te [6]. One of the aims of this paper is
to communicate new experimental evidence support-
ing the interpretation we have given in reference [Z].
We have carried out thorough diffraction studies of
a Cd0.4sMn~.~4Te single crystal that was found not
to contain twinned grains. Also, we have performed
diffraction experiments on Znl-,Mn,Te single crystals
which have quite recently become available in the rel-
evant high Mn concentration range. One of the newly
acquired Znl-,Mn,Te crystals (with x = 0.41) ap-
peared to be entirely free from twinned planes. As
shown by the experiments, magnetic scattering from
both these samples exhibit the same anisotropic char-
acter as in twinned specimens, thus proving that the
effect is not caused by structural imperfections (an ex-
ample of the data obtained from the Zno.ssMn0.41Te
specimen is displayed in Fig. 1).
One of the problems of current importance in the
physics of A:'_,M~,B~' alloys is the characterization
of the spin glass-like transitions seen in these systems.
An important achievement in this field has been the re-
cent study of Geschwind et al. [7] who carried out mea-
surements of the ac magnetic susceptiblity (w,T)
in Cdi-,Mn,Te (with x = 0.40 - 0.65) over a very
broad frequency range (10-I - 10' HZ) , and showed
that the system fails to obey the scaling laws normally
expected for spin glasses. The data clearly exhibit a
behavior typical for processes with activated dynam-
ics, thus suggesting a dynamically inhibited antifer-
romagnetic transition rather than a spin glass transi-
tion. This interpretation seems to be consistent with
neutron scattering data from C d ~ . ~ ~ M n ~[5] . swhich
~Te

Article published online by EDP Sciences and available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/jphyscol:19888544

C8 - 1200 JOURNAL DE PHYSIQUE
Q-vector component F
Fig. 1. - The profiles of the (110) diffuse magnetic peak in
Zno.5gMno.41Temeasured along two perpendicular direc-
tions in Q-space.
Temperature (K)
Fig. 2. - The temperature dependence of the inverse corre-
lation lengths nl and n l in C d ~ . ~ ~ M n o .Solid
~ ~ T curves
e.
are guides :for the eye.
show an abrupt saturation of the magnetic correlation
length 5 (T) at the cusp temperature T,.In the light of
<
the activated dynamics model, such a (T) behavior
reflects the onset of slow dynamics in the vicinity of
T,, which prevents the short-range ordered Type I11
domains from further growth. However, the results of
measurements on the crystal with a: = 0.54 that have
been performed to check the model for other a: values
appear to be in surprising contrast with this picture.
The temperature variations of the inverse correlation
lengths n l = <yl and nil = <il which are plotted in
figure 2 indicate that the saturation, temperature for
this system is of 13 K, whereas (w, T) data from the
same specimen yield T, of 20 K [8]. Also; we were not
<
able to detect any time dependence in on the order
of hours which would be expected to occur [7].
In conclusion, the presently reported single crys-
tal diffraction experiments on Znl-,Mn,Te and
Cdl-,Mn,Te made it possible t o resolve some impor-
tant questions concerning the properties of the low-T
magnetic phase in these materials. However, the phase
transition mechanism in the systems appears to be still
not well understood, and this problem definitely re-
quires more studies.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by National Science Foun-
dation Grant No. DMR 8505-738.
[I] Giebultowicz, T. M. and Holden, T. M. in Diluted
Magnetic Semiconductors (Eds. J. K. F'udyna and
J. Kossut (Academic Press, New York) 1988.
[2] Giebultowicz, T. M., Rhyne, J. J., Ching, W. Y.,
Huber, D. L. and Galazka, R. R., J. Magn. Magn.
Mater. 54-57 (1986) 1149; also,
Giebultowicz, T. M., Rhyne, J. J., Ching, W. Y.,
Huber, D. L., J. Appl. Phys. 57 (1985) 3415.
[3] See, e.g., Minor, W. and Giebultowicz, T. M., this
conference.
[4] Ching, W. Y. and Huber, D. L., Phys. Rev. B 25
(1982) 5761; Phys. Rev. 26 (1982) 6164.
[5] Steigenberger, U., Lebech, B. and Galazka, R. R.,
J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 5 4 5 7 (1986) 1285.
[6] Giebultowicz, T. M., Rhyne, J. J., Ching, W. Y.,
Huber, D. L. and F'urdyna, J. K., J. Appl. Phys.
63 (1988) 3297; also,
Giebultowicz, T. M., Rhyne, J. J., Ching, W.
Y., Huber, D. L., F'urdyna, J. J., Lebech, B. and
Galazka, R. R., in preparation.
[7] Geschwind, S., Ogielski, A. T., Devlin, Q.,
Hegarty, J. and Bridenbaugh, P., J. Appl. Phys.
63 (1988) 3291.
[8] Geschwind, S., private communication.