Synthesis and magnetic properties of solid solutions of a diluted magnetic semiconductor (Zn₁-xFex)₃As₂

Abstract

The magnetic properties of the new semimagnetic semiconductor (Zn₁-xFex)₃As₂ with x < 0.04 have been investigated over a wide temperature range. Single crystals of ZFA were grown using the modified Bridgeman technique. The results of X-ray analyses and the magnetometry data show that the border of solid solutions in this system lay near x = 0.015. Further increasing of x leads to the growing of the second phase, which was identified as Fe₂As. A notable feature of our magnetometry results is the spin-glass-type freezing of magnetic moments in the temperature range of 10 - 50 K