Room temperature ferromagnetism in (Ga1−xMnx)2O3 epitaxial thin films
Abstract
Mn-doped monoclinic β-(Ga1−xMnx)2O3 thin films were epitaxially grown on α-Al2O3 (0001) substrates by alternately depositing Ga2O3 and Mn layers using the laser molecular beam epitaxy technique. The crystal lattice expands and the energy band gap shrinks with the increase of Mn content for Mn ions incorporated into the Ga site. Ferromagnetism appears even above room temperature when x ≥ 0.11 and can be remarkably enhanced with the continuous increase of Mn indicated by the increased magnetization and coercivity. This study presents a promising candidate for use in spintronic devices that are capable of working at room temperature.