UV optical properties of ferromagnetic Mn-doped ZnO thin films grown by PLD

The incorporation of 3d transition metals into ZnO can produce ferromagnetism above room temperature. For Mn-doped ZnO films grown at low temperatures around 500 °C by pulsed laser deposition, the ferromagnetic behavior is correlated to their textured structure. For optimized films showing homogeneous magnetic domain formation in magnetic force microscopy, the saturation magnetization and coercive field strength amount to 0.013 emu/g and 234 Oe at 300 K, respectively. Compared to undoped ZnO films, the luminescence of Mn-doped ZnO films is strongly quenched. However, luminescence can be observed around antiferromagnetic MnO or MnO2 clusters that crystallize during the growth process on the film surface.