Single and multidomain characteristics of GaMnAs investigated by magnetotransport measurements

Abstract

We have investigated the magnetization reorientation process of GaMnAs ferromagnetic films by changing external field direction in planar Hall effect (PHE) measurement. While the angular dependences of PHE data taken with clockwise and counterclockwise under strong magnetic field (i.e., above 400 Oe) are completely overlapped without hysteresis, they are significantly different under small magnetic field (i.e., below 50 Oe) by exhibiting nonabrupt hysteresis. We have analyzed such angular dependence of PHE using the magnetic free energy based on Stoner-Wohlfarth model. The behavior observed under the high field was well understood in terms of coherent rotation of magnetization in the form of single domain. However, the nonabrupt hysteric behavior observed with low field cannot be explained by a single domain picture and requires involvement of multidomain structures.