Spin-polarized electronic structure of the core–shell ZnO/ZnO:Mn nanowires probed by X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy

Abstract

The combination of X-ray spectroscopy methods complemented with theoretical analysis unravels the coexistence of paramagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases in the Zn_0.9Mn_0.1O shell deposited onto array of wurtzite ZnO nanowires. The shell is crystalline with orientation toward the ZnO growth axis, as demonstrated by X-ray linear dichroism. EXAFS analysis confirmed that more than 90% of Mn atoms substituted Zn in the shell while a fraction of secondary phases was below 10%. The value of manganese spin magnetic moment was estimated from the Mn Kβ X-ray emission spectroscopy to be 4.3 μ_B which is close to the theoretical value for substitutional Mn_Zn. However the analysis of L_2,3 X-ray magnetic circular dichroism data showed paramagnetic behaviour with saturated spin magnetic moment value of 1.95 μ_B as determined directly from the spin sum rule. After quantitative analysis employing atomic multiplet simulations such difference was explained by a coexistence of paramagnetic phase and local antiferromagnetic coupling of Mn magnetic moments. Finally, spin-polarized electron density of states was probed by the spin-resolved Mn K-edge XANES spectroscopy and consequently analyzed by band structure calculations.