Residual resistivity of diluted III–V magnetic semiconductors

The electronic structure and residual resistivity of diluted (Ga, Mn)As magnetic semiconductors are calculated from first principles using the linear muffin-tin orbital method, the coherent potential approximation, and the Kubo-Greenwood linear response theory. Particular attention is paid to the role of native compensating defects such as As antisites and Mn interstitials as well as to different magnetic configurations of the local Mn moments. The order of magnitude of the calculated resistivities compares reasonably well with available experimental data. The concentration variations of the resistivity reflect two basic mechanisms, namely the strength of the impurity scattering and the number of carriers. In agreement with a recent experiment, the calculated resistivities are strongly correlated with the alloy Curie temperatures evaluated in terms of a classical Heisenberg Hamiltonian.