Electronic Theory of Mn - Alloyed Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors

Recent calculations of the electronic structure and magnetic interactions in Mn - alloyed II-VI diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS) are summarized. Detailed band structure results are obtained using an empirical tight-binding, coherent potential approximation approach with input from experiment and local spin density band calculations. The dominant magnetic interactions in these systems result from hybridization between spin-split Mn d states and sp valence bands. Superexchange between Mn moments is well described by a simple three-level model which yields accurate Mn - Mn exchange constants for a variety of II-VI DMS as well as the rocksalt insulators MnO and α-MnS.