Direct observation of the magnetic ordering process in the ferromagnetic semiconductor GaMnAs via soft X-ray magnetic circular dichroism

Takeda, Yukiharu   ; Oya, Shinobu*; Pham, N. H.*; Kobayashi, Masaki*; Saito, Yuji  ; Yamagami, Hiroshi; Tanaka, Masaaki*; Fujimori, Atsushi*

In order to understand the mechanism of the ferromagnetism in GaMnAs ((Ga,Mn)As), we have investigated the magnetic behavior on a microscopic level through systematic temperature () and magnetic-field () dependent soft X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) experiments at the Mn absorption edges. The and dependences of XMCD intensities have been analyzed using a model consisting of the ferromagnetic (FM), paramagnetic, and superparamagnetic (SPM) components. Intriguingly, we have found a common behavior for the ferromagnetic ordering process in (Ga,Mn)As samples with different Mn concentrations and different Curie temperature () values. In particular, the SPM component develops well above , indicating that local FM regions are formed well above . The present findings indicate that the onset of ferromagnetic ordering is triggered by local electronic states around the substitutional Mn ions. Insight into the most representative ferromagnetic semiconductor, (Ga,Mn)As, will be an important step in understanding the mechanism of ferromagnetic ordering in various ferromagnetic semiconductor families.