Magnetic Properties of Epitaxial Fe/(Ga,Mn)As Hybrids

Thin-film structures composed of two kinds of ferromagnetic material - metallic Fe and semiconducting (Ga,Mn)As - were investigated by means of SQUID magnetometry and ferromagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Dependence of remnant magnetic moment on temperature showed unexpected anisotropic features when recorded along two orthogonal in-plane directions. For one of these orientations, the change in sign of the slope of m(T) curve at the Curie point of (Ga,Mn)As was observed, while for the other, an analogous m(T) curve retained monotonic character. Based on the comparison with ferromagnetic resonance data, the apparent non-monotonicity was attributed to the temperature-induced change of balance between the external magnetic field and uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in the plane of Fe layer.