Spatially Resolved Inhomogeneous Ferromagnetism in (Ga,Mn)As Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors: A Microscopic Study by Muon Spin Relaxation

Thin epitaxial films of the diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) GaMnAs have been studied by low energy muon spin rotation and relaxation (LE-μSR) as well as by transport and magnetization measurement techniques. LE-μSR allows measurements of the distribution of magnetic field on the nanometer scale inaccessible to traditional macroscopic techniques. The spatial inhomogeneity of the magnetic field is resolved: although homogeneous above T_c, below T_c the DMS consists of ferromagnetic and paramagnetic regions of comparable volumes. In the ferromagnetic regions the local field inhomogeneity amounts to 0.03 T.