On the nature of ferromagnetism in Ga_{1-x}Mn_xAs semiconductors

Abstract

We have performed ab initio calculations within the density-functional theory for Ga_{1-x}Mn_xAs diluted semiconductors. Total energy results unambiguously show that a quasi-localized down-spin hole, with strong p-like character, surrounds the fully polarized Mn up-spin d^5-electrons. Calculations indicate that the holes form an essentially dispersionless impurity band, thus rendering effective-mass descriptions of hole states open to challenge. We obtain estimates both for the s = 1/2 hole and S = 5/2 Mn exchange coupling, and for the distance dependence of the effective Mn-Mn exchange interaction. Results demonstrate that the effective Mn-Mn coupling is always ferromagnetic, thus non-RKKY, and intermediated by the antiferromagnetic coupling of each Mn spin to the holes.