Nanoscale magnet for semiconductor spintronics

A hybrid nanostructure of diluted magnetic semiconductor quantum well (DMS-QW) has been fabricated by using a ferromagnetic Co/Pt-multilayered film with perpendicular magnetization. The nanoscale disk of DMS-QW with a diameter of 80 nm was embedded in the magnetic film generating magnetic fields perpendicular to the DMS-QW plane. As a result, exciton photoluminescence with circular-polarization properties arises in a zero external field, due to the giant Zeeman effects of excitons. It indicates that the perpendicular magnetic fields applied from the Co/Pt film align the exciton spins in the DMS nanoscale disk, acting as a nanoscale magnet for semiconductor spintronics. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.