Magnetic field sensitive diffusion-driven photovoltaic effect in Mn/SiO2/n-Si

Bondarev, I.A., Rautskii, M.V., Volkov, N.V., (...), Varnakov, S.N., Tarasov, A.S.// Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing//

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mssp.2024.109237

Light-induced transport phenomena in semiconductor-based structures with magnetic layers, have been the subject of significant scientific research. One notable mechanism for inducing magnetotransport effects in semiconductor-based devices is the lateral photovoltaic effect (LPE), which arises from the separation of photogenerated carriers under illumination. We present a study on the simulation of spectral dependence of diffusion-induced photovoltage in Mn/SiO₂/n-Si hybrid structure. By analyzing both lateral and transverse photovoltaic effects in terms of light absorption depth, we gain a deeper insight of the mechanisms governing light-induced transport. The magnetic field's effect on photovoltage is attributed to the Lorentz force and sample's geometry. Additionally, the photovoltage's dependence on the magnetic field exhibits ferromagnetic hysteresis, suggesting the presence of a ferromagnetic MnSi phase near the Mn/SiO₂ interface.