Microstructure, magnetic, and spin-dependent transport properties of (Zn,Cr)Te films fabricated by magnetron sputtering

Chromium doped zinc telluride thin films with various doping concentrations are fabricated by magnetron sputtering. These films are ferromagnetic and the Curie temperature increases with Cr concentration. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and magnetic circular dichroism characterizations show that the films are free of Cr1-x Tex impurities and the ferromagnetism is intrinsic. The transport study shows that the resistivity and magnetoresistance are governed by variable range hopping at low temperatures. A negative magnetoresistance as large as -57% is observed at 5 K. The magnetoresistance and its temperature dependence can be well explained by a model involving an increase in the localization length of carriers with a magnetic field in the hopping region. An anomalous Hall effect is also observed and a possible origin of the sign difference between the anomalous Hall resistance and ordinary Hall resistance is discussed.