Manganese and Gallium Nitride given a second chance as Spintronics materials

A combination of Manganese and Gallium Nitride was once a promising spintronics material, but it was later abandoned when it was found that these two materials aren't harmonious. But now researchers from Ohio university (in collaboration with Argentinian and Spanish researchers) developed a way to incorporate a uniform layer (at least on the surface) from the materials.

The researchers used the nitrogen polarity of gallium nitride (old experiments used the gallium polarity) to attach to the manganese, and they also heated the sample which prevents the manganese atoms from "floating" on the outer layer of gallium atoms and instead made the connection that created the manganese-nitrogen bond.

Now the researchers will start checking whether the new material has the magnetic properties at room temperature necessary to function as a spintronic material.

Posted: Jun 09,2013 by Ron Mertens