Atomistic spin dynamics simulations on Mn-doped GaAs and CuMn

Abstract

The magnetic dynamical behavior of two random alloys have been investigated in atomistic spin dynamics (ASD) simulations. For both materials, magnetic exchange parameters calculated with first principles electronic structure methods were used. From experiments it is well known that CuMn is a highly frustrated magnetic system and a good manifestation of a Heisenberg spin glass. In our ASD simulations the behavior of the autocorrelation function indicate spin glass behavior. The diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) Mn-doped GaAs is engineered with hopes of high enough Curie temperatures to operate in spintronic devices. Impurities such as As antisites and Mn interstitials change the exhange couplings from being mainly ferromagnetic to also have antiferromagnetic components. We explore how the resulting frustration affects the magnetization dynamics for a varying rate of As antisites. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd.