Magnetic Properties of Sn$\text{}_{1-x}$Gd$\text{}_{x}$Te (0.002 ≤ x ≤ 0.09)

Magnetic, transport and structural properties of bulk crystals of Sn$\text{}_{1-x}$Gd$\text{}_{x}$Te with Gd content 0.002 < x < 0.09 and varying carrier concentrations obtained by an isothermal annealing were studied in the temperature range T = 1.5 - 80 K. We found the effect of resonant increase in antiferromagnetic spin-spin exchange interactions in the crystals with 0.025 ≤ x ≤ 0.05. No effect was found in crystals either with higher (x > 0.05) or with lower (x < 0.025) Gd concentration. The observed Gd composition dependence of the magnetic and transport properties of SnGdTe can be explained in a proposed model relating these experimental properties to the Gd composition induced shift of the position of Gd$\text{}^{3+}\text{}^{/}\text{}^{2+}$ level with respect to the top of the valence band of SnGdTe.