Ferromagnetic anisotropy in scandium-doped AlN hierarchical nanostructures

We experimentally fabricated uniformly distributed single-, double- and six-sided Sc-doped AlN (AlN:Sc) nanodendrites by a plasma-assisted direct current arc discharge method. The crystal structure, composition, morphological and microstructures were characterized, and the physical mechanisms governing the formation of AlN:Sc nanodendrites were examined. It was found that the morphology and the crystal orientation of the AlN nanodendrites can be controlled by tuning the N-2 pressure. The incorporation of Sc induces native point defects in AlN that contribute to the growth of hierarchical structures and affect the room-temperature photoluminescence. The AlN:Sc nanodendrites exhibit room-temperature anisotropic ferromagnetism, and this is strongly depend on the orientation of the nanodendrites. This work provides a facile strategy to fabricate complex hierarchical AlN:Sc nanostructures with manipulated magnetic properties which may find promising applications in spintronic nanodevices.