Tight-binding theory of spin-spin interactions, Curie temperatures, and quantum Hall effects in topological (Hg,Cr)Te in comparison to non-topological (Zn,Cr)Te, and (Ga,Mn)N

Abstract

Earlier theoretical results on $p$-$d$ and $d$-$d$ exchange interactions for zinc-blende semiconductors with $\mathrm{Cr}^{2{+}}$ and $\mathrm{Mn}^{3{+}}$ ions are revisited and extended by including contributions beyond the dominating ferromagnetic (FM) superexchange term [i.e., the interband Bloembergen-Rowland-Van Vleck contribution and antiferromagnetic (AFM) two-electron term], and applied to topological Cr-doped HgTe and non-topological (Zn,Cr)Te and (Ga,Mn)N in zinc-blende and wurtzite crystallographic structures. From the obtained values of the $d$-$d$ exchange integrals $J_{ij}$, and by combining the Monte-Carlo simulations with the percolation theory for randomly distributed magnetic ions, we determine magnitudes of Curie temperatures $T_{\text{C}}(x)$ for $\mathrm{Zn}_{1-x}\mathrm{Cr}_x\mathrm{Te}$ and $\mathrm{Ga}_{1-x}\mathrm{Mn}_x\mathrm{N}$ and compare to available experimental data. Furthermore, we find that competition between FM and AFM $d$-$d$ interactions can lead to a spin-glass phase in the case of $\mathrm{Hg}_{1-x}\mathrm{Cr}_x\mathrm{Te}$. This competition, along with a relatively large magnitude of the AF $p$-$d$ exchange energy $N_0\beta$ can stabilize the quantum spin Hall effect, but may require the application of tilted magnetic field to observe the quantum anomalous Hall effect in HgTe quantum wells doped with Cr, as confirmed by the Chern number determination.