Study of the magnetic properties in GaN with Mn-doping

GaMnN dilute magnetic semiconductor samples, prepared by Mn-ion implanted into unintentionally doped GaN epilayers, exhibit room temperature ferromagnetism. The electronic structure of Mn doped GaN was calculated by using first-principles plane-wave ultrasoft pseudopotential approach based on density functional theory. The results show that the spin-up impurity band is formed and broadened to cross Fermi level due to the hybridization of Mn-3d with N-2p orbits. From experimental and theoretical results, it is believed that Ferromagnetism can be observed if the EF is located within or near the Mn impurity band so that there are enough holes in this band to mediate the ferromagnetic properties.