[010] uniaxial-anisotropy induced asymmetry of magnetic reversal in (Ga,Mn)As

摘要

We investigate the asymmetric magnetic rotation arising from [010] uniaxial anisotropy in (Ga,Mn)As thin films by measuring the planar Hall effect, with the Hall bars fabricated along [110] direction. Two modes, angle-scan and field-scan, are utilized to do the measurements, both of which show remarkably asymmetric rotations. This phenomenon is found to arise from the minimal [010] uniaxial anisotropy, which is commonly overshadowed by its strong cubic anisotropy counterpart. Besides, we also measure the temperature and film thickness dependence of asymmetric rotation, showing a more remarkable behavior with the increase of temperature or thickness. The direct demonstration of [010] uniaxial anisotropy by an electrical fashion provides useful information for designing electrically programmable memory and logic device on the basis of (Ga,Mn)As.