Concept of impurity-dislocation magnetism in III–V compound semiconductors

The ability of dislocations to attract impurity atoms is examined from the viewpoint of the feasibility to produce linear, extended magnetic structures in transition-metal-doped diamagnetic III–V compound semiconductor hosts. To understand the possible formation mechanisms and expected properties of such structures, we analyze a number of experimental studies that address the precipitation of magnetically inactive atoms onto edge dislocations in metals and semiconductors. The general trends identified are used in analysis of the properties of magnetically active atoms located around dislocations. We examine the feasibility of creating novel magnetic semiconductors in which transition-metal-doped dislocations would serve as magnetic memory cells. The research direction addressed in this paper is defined as the concept of impurity-dislocation magnetism in III–V compound semiconductors.