Ferromagnetism in fluoride-antimonide SrF([formula omitted])Sb with a quasi two dimensional structure.

• SrF( Zn 1 - 2 x Mn x Cu x )Sb is a new diluted magnetic semiconductor with highest Tc ∼ 40 K. • Doping only Cu into the parent compound SrFZnSb does not induce any type of magnetic ordering. • The antiferromagnetic interaction inhibits the ferromagnetism in high doping level. • SrF( Zn 1 - 2 x Mn x Cu x )Sb has a negative magneto-resistance effect. We report the synthesis and characterization of a new bulk form fluoride-antimonide diluted magnetic semiconductor SrF( Zn 1 - 2 x Mn x Cu x )Sb with ZrCuSiAs-type structure, which is the same quasi-two-dimensional crystal structure as that of 1111-type iron-based superconductors. Doping only Cu into the parent compound SrFZnSb does not induce any type of magnetic ordering. Only when Mn and Cu are codoped into Zn sites, where Mn substitution for Zn and Cu substitution for Zn introduce spins and carriers, respectively, can ferromagnetic ordering form. Bulk form samples SrF( Zn 1 - 2 x Mn x Cu x )Sb with x = 0.05, 0.075, 0.10 and 0.15 exhibit ferromagnetic transition, with highest T C ∼ 40 K for the doping level of x = 0.10. Iso-thermal magnetization measurements show that they have a relatively larger coercive field ∼ 8000 Oe. The electrical resistivity measurements indicate that SrF( Zn 1 - 2 x Mn x Cu x )Sb DMSs display semiconducting behavior, with the negative magneto-resistance effect up to 27% under 9 T at 2 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]