Magnetic polarons in MnTe layers

We investigate the crossover from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic behavi our in semimagnetic semiconductor structures. Systems with two dimensional magnetic layers of (1 0 0)-MnTe equispatially inserted four times in a CdTe quantum well,embedded between Cd0.75Mg0.25Te barriers are studied in the i deal paramagnetic limit. The interaction between localized magnetic spins a nd quantum confined electronic states is shown to give rise to the formatio n of free magnetic polarons. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights rese rved.