Possible applications of (III,Mn)V ferromagnetic semiconductors for optoelectronic devices

We discuss possible applications of (III,Mn)V ferromagnetic semiconductors as novel magneto-optical devices for optoelectronics. These materials systems possess several distinguishing characteristics that make them attractive candidates for such applications. Processing technology for III-V compound semiconductors is very well established and can be employed for these materials. Illumination with light can induce much stronger changes in their electronic, magnetic, and optoelectronic properties than in ferromagnetic metals. Furthermore, electric-field-tunable magnetization, by utilizing the strong spin-orbit coupling in these materials, may lead to entirely new functionalities unachievable with conventional magneto-optical materials. We present some CW magneto-optical Kerr effect spectroscopy results for (III,Mn)V samples and discuss their potential for magneto-optical device applications.