prompt_front: Now, answer the following question based on the text below, only give me the answer and do not output any other words.

Question: What does the new Iraqi Body Count organization do?

Read the following text and answer briefly.

Context 1: Ann's Mega Dub: 12/19/10 - 12/26/10
Got o have a penis to be an expert
Thursday on NPR's Fresh Air, Terry Gross wanted to talk film and music  Since women don't know a thing about either and aren't interested in either, Terry had to find men who were 'experts 'This is C I 's " Iraq snapshot Friday, December 24, 2010  Chaos and violence continue, Nouri's incomplete Cabinet continues to receive criticism, a father offers an 'excuse' for killing his own daughter, and more Marci Stone (US Headlines Examiner) reports, "Friday afternoon, Santa is currently in Baghdad, Iraq and on his next stop is Moscow, Russia, according to the 2010 NORAD Santa Tracker  The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has been tracking Santa as he makes his annual journey throughout the world " Gerald Skoning (Palm Beach Post) quotes Santa saying, "We send our special wishes for peace and goodwill to all  That includes the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and North Korea " Please note that this is Santa's seventh trip to Iraq since the start of the Iraq War and, as usual, his journey was known in advance  No waiting until he hit the ground to announce he was going to Iraq -- the way George The Bully Boy Bush had to and the way US President Barack Obama still has to  In the lead up to Santa's yearly visit, many 'authorities' in Iraq began insisting that Christmas couldn't be celebrated publicly, that even Santa was banned  Gabriel Gatehouse (BBC News) quotes Shemmi Hanna stating, "I wasn't hurt but I wish that I had been killed  I wish I had become a martyr for this church, but God kept me alive for my daughters " Shemmi Hanna was in Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad when it was assaulted October 31st and she lost her husband, her son, her daughter-in-law and her infant grandson in the attack  The October 31st attack marks the latest wave of violence targeting Iraqi Christians  The violence has led many to flee to northern Iraq (KRG) or to other countries  Zvi Bar'el (Haaretz) notes, "This week the Iraqi legislature discussed the Christians' situation and passed a resolution in principle to help families who fled  However, the parliament does not know where the Christians are, how many are still in Iraq, in their homes, and how many have found asylum in Iraqi Kurdistan " John Leland (New York Times) reports:The congregants on Friday night were fewer than 100, in a sanctuary built for four or five times as many  But they were determined  This year, even more than in the past, Iraqi's dwindling Christian minority had reasons to stay home for Christmas  "Yes, we are threatened, but we will not stop praying," the Rev  Meyassr al-Qaspotros told the Christmas Eve crowd at the Sacred Church of Jesus, a Chaldean Catholic church  "We do not want to leave the country because we will leave an empty space " Raheem Salman (Los Angeles Times) reports, "Rimon Metti's family will go to Christian services on Christmas Day, but his relatives will be praying for their own survival and wondering whether this is their last holiday season in Baghdad  If they had any grounds for optimism about the future of their faith in Iraq, it vanished this year amid repeated attacks on fellow believers " Shahsank Bengali (McClatchy Newspapers) adds, "Nearly two months after a shocking assault by Islamist militants, Our Lady of Salvation Catholic Church will commemorate Christmas quietly, with daytime mass and prayers for the dead, under security fit more for a prison than a house of worship  It is the same at Christian churches across Baghdad and northern Iraq, where what's left of one of the world's oldest Christian communities prepares to mark perhaps the most somber Christmas since the start of the Iraq war "Meanwhile Taylor Luck (Jordan Times) reports on Iraqi refugees in Jordan:Although the calendar will say December 25, for Theresa, Saturday will not be Christmas  There will be no cinnamon klecha cooling on the dining room table, no outdoor ceramic nativity scene, no readings of hymns with relatives  The 63-year-old Iraqi woman has even refused to put up Christmas lights in the crowded two-room Amman hotel apartment she has called home since fleeing Baghdad last month "There is no holiday spirit  All we have is fear," she said This holiday will instead mark another year without news from her 46-year-old son, who was kidnapped outside Baghdad in late 2006 From Turkey, Sebnem Arsu (New York Times -- link has text and video) notes the increase in Iraq refugees to the country since October 31st and quotes Father Emlek stating, "I've never seen as many people coming here as I have in the last few weeks  They also go to Lebanon, Jordan and Syria but it seems that Turkey is the most popular despite the fact that they do not speak the language " Jeff Karoub (AP) reports on the small number of Iraqi refugees who have made it to the US and how some of them "struggle with insomnia, depression and anxiety "One group in Iraq who can openly celebrate Christmas are US service members who elect to  Barbara Surk (AP) reports that tomorrow Chief Warrant Officer Archie Morgan will celebrate his fourth Christmas in Iraq and Captain Diana Crane is celebrating her second Christmas in Iraq: "Crane was among several dozen troops attending a Christmas Eve mass in a chapel in Camp Victory, an American military base just outside Baghdad " Marc Hansen (Des Moines Reigster) speaks with six service members from Iowa who are stationed in Iraq  Sgt 1st Class Dennis Crosser tells Hansen, "I certainly understand from reading the paper what's going on in Afghanistan and the attention definitely needs to be on the troops there  But everyone serving here in Operation New Dawn appreciates a little bit of attention as we finish this up "Today Jiang Yu, China's Foreign Minister, issued the following statement, "We welcome and congratulate Iraq on forming a new government  We hope that the Iraqi Government unite all its people, stabilize the security situation, accelerate economic reconstruction and make new progress in building its country " James Cogan (WSWS) reports:US State Department official Philip Crowley declared on Wednesday that Washington had not "dictated the terms of the government"  In reality, constant American pressure was applied to Maliki, Allawi, Kurdish leaders and other prominent Iraqi politicians throughout the entire nine-month process to form a cabinet  The US intervention included numerous personal phone calls and visits to Baghdad by both President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden The key objective of the Obama administration has been to ensure that the next Iraqi government will "request" a long-term military partnership with the US when the current Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) expires at the end of 2011  The SOFA is the legal basis upon which some 50,000 American troops remain in Iraq, operating from large strategic air bases such as Balad and Tallil and Al Asad  US imperialism spent billions of dollars establishing these advanced bases as part of its wider strategic plans and has no intention of abandoning them Cogan's only the second person to include the SOFA in his report  Some are impressed with the 'feat' of taking nearly ten months to form a government, stringing the country along for ten months while no decisions could go through  The editorial board of the Washington Post, for example, was full of praise yesterday  Today they're joined by Iran's Ambassador to Iraq, Hassan Danaiifar  The Tehran Times reports that Danaiifar was full of praise today hailing the "positive and final step which ended the 10-month political limbo in Iraq " However, Danaiifar was less pie-in-the-sky than the Post editorial board because he can foresee future problems as evidenced by his statement, "We may witness the emergence of some problems after one and half of a year -- for example, some ministers may be impeached " Of course, there are already many clouds on the horizon, even if Iranian diplomats and Post editorial boards can't suss them out  For example, Ben Bendig (Epoch Times) noted the objection of Iraq's female politicians to Nouri al-Maliki's decision to nominate only one woman (so far) to his Cabinet: "Some 50 female lawmakers went to the country's top leadership, the United Nations and the Arab League to voice their concern and desire for increased representation " BNO notes that protest and also that a group of Iraqi MPs are alleging that Iraqiya bought seats in the Cabinet via money exchanged in Jordan  UPI adds, "Maliki, a Shiite who has a long history of working with Tehran, has named himself acting minister of defense, interior and national security, three most powerful and sensitive posts in the government he is stitching together  Although Maliki appears to be bending over backward to accommodate rivals among Iraq's Shiite majority as well as minority Sunnis and Kurds in his administration in a spirit of reconciliation, he is unlikely to relinquish those ministries that dominate the security sector " DPA reports, "Sheikh Abdel-Mahdi al-Karbalaei, a confident of influential Shiite spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, said that the new cabinet is 'below the standards' Iraqi citizens had hoped for and suggested it could prove to be weaker than the previous government " Ranj Alaaldin (Guardian) also spots clouds on the horizon:Lasting peace and stability depends on resolving outstanding disputes with the Kurds on oil, revenue-sharing, security and the disputed territories (Kirkuk in particular)  The Kurds, rather than exploiting their kingmaker position to take a stronger proportion of ministries in Baghdad (they are taking just one major portfolio – the foreign ministry), are instead banking on guarantees from Maliki to implement their list of 19 demands that includes resolving the above disputes in their favour They may have been naive, though  With their historical and federalist partners, the Islamic supreme council of Iraq in decline, the Kurds may be isolated in the new government – a government dominated by the nationalistic and centrist characteristics of the INM, the Sadrists and indeed State of Law Maliki may, therefore, turn out to be unable to grant concessions even if he wanted to and could use Osama Nujayfi, the new ultra-nationalist speaker of parliament and Kurdish foe, to absorb the Kurdish criticism and insulate himself from any attacks AP reports that Iraqi police sought out a 19-year-old woman because of rumors that she was working with al Qaida in Mesopotamia only to be greeted with the news that her father allegedly killed her and the father showed the police where he buried the woman       last month  The story begs for more than it offers  The most obvious observation is: what does it say that a woman's allegedly killed by her father and no one says a word for over a month? After that, it should probably be noted that there are many men in Iraq killing women who, no doubt, would love to also be able to pin the blame on al Qaida  In other violence, Reuters notes a house bombing in Haswa which claimed the life of Mohammed al-Karrafi, "his wife, two sons and a nephew" -- as well as injuring four more people, and a Samarra roadside bombing which claimed the lives of 2 police officers  DPA notes it was two homes bombed in Haswa and that the Samarra roadside bombing also injured four Iraqi soldiers  Jomana Karadsheh (CNN) reports, "Another policeman was wounded in Baghdad Friday night when a roadside bomb detonated by a police patrol, an Interior Ministry official told CNN "And we'll close with this from Peace Mom Cindy Sheehan's latest Al Jazeera column:The recent repeal of the US military policy of "Don't ask, don't tell" is far from being the human rights advancement some are touting it to be  I find it intellectually dishonest, in fact, illogical on any level to associate human rights with any military, let alone one that is currently dehumanising two populations as well as numerous other victims of it's clandestine "security" policies Placing this major contention aside, the enactment of the bill might be an institutional step forward in the fight for "equality"; however institutions rarely reflect reality Do we really think that the US congress vote to repeal the act and Obama signing the bill is going to stop the current systemic harassment of gays in the military?While I am a staunch advocate for equality of marriage and same-sex partnership, I cannot - as a peace activist - rejoice in the fact that now homosexuals can openly serve next to heterosexuals in one of the least socially responsible organisations that currently exists on earth: The US military It is an organisation tainted with a history of intolerance towards anyone who isn't a Caucasian male from the Mid-West  Even then I'm sure plenty fitting that description have faced the terror and torment enshrined into an institution that transforms the pride and enthusiasm of youth into a narrow zeal for dominating power relations And we'll close with this from Francis A  Boyle's "2011: Prospects for Humanity?" (Global Research):Historically, this latest eruption of American militarism at the start of the 21st Century is akin to that of America opening the 20th Century by means of the U S -instigated Spanish-American War in 1898  Then the Republican administration of President William McKinley stole their colonial empire from Spain in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines; inflicted a near genocidal war against the Filipino people; while at the same time illegally annexing the Kingdom of Hawaii and subjecting the Native Hawaiian people (who call themselves the Kanaka Maoli) to near genocidal conditions  Additionally, McKinley's military and colonial expansion into the Pacific was also designed to secure America's economic exploitation of China pursuant to the euphemistic rubric of the "open door" policy  But over the next four decades America's aggressive presence, policies, and practices in the "Pacific" would ineluctably pave the way for Japan's attack at Pearl Harbor on Dec  7, 194l, and thus America's precipitation into the ongoing Second World War  Today a century later the serial imperial aggressions launched and menaced by the Republican Bush Jr  administration and now the Democratic Obama administration are threatening to set off World War III  By shamelessly exploiting the terrible tragedy of 11 September 2001, the Bush Jr  administration set forth to steal a hydrocarbon empire from the Muslim states and peoples living in Central Asia and the Persian Gulf under the bogus pretexts of (1) fighting a war against international terrorism; and/or (2) eliminating weapons of mass destruction; and/or (3) the promotion of democracy; and/or (4) self-styled "humanitarian intervention " Only this time the geopolitical stakes are infinitely greater than they were a century ago: control and domination of two-thirds of the world's hydrocarbon resources and thus the very fundament and energizer of the global economic system – oil and gas  The Bush Jr / Obama administrations have already targeted the remaining hydrocarbon reserves of Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia for further conquest or domination, together with the strategic choke-points at sea and on land required for their transportation  In this regard, the Bush Jr  administration announced the establishment of the U S  Pentagon's Africa Command (AFRICOM) in order to better control, dominate, and exploit both the natural resources and the variegated peoples of the continent of Africa, the very cradle of our human species  This current bout of U S  imperialism is what Hans Morgenthau denominated "unlimited imperialism" in his seminal work Politics Among Nations (4th ed  1968, at 52-53): The outstanding historic examples of unlimited imperialism are the expansionist policies of Alexander the Great, Rome, the Arabs in the seventh and eighth centuries, Napoleon I, and Hitler  They all have in common an urge toward expansion which knows no rational limits, feeds on its own successes and, if not stopped by a superior force, will go on to the confines of the political world  This urge will not be satisfied so long as there remains anywhere a possible object of domination--a politically organized group of men which by its very independence challenges the conqueror's lust for power  It is, as we shall see, exactly the lack of moderation, the aspiration to conquer all that lends itself to conquest, characteristic of unlimited imperialism, which in the past has been the undoing of the imperialistic policies of this kind…  On 10 November 1979 I visited with Hans Morgenthau at his home in Manhattan  It proved to be our last conversation before he died on 19 July 1980  Given his weakened physical but not mental condition and his serious heart problem, at the end of our necessarily abbreviated one-hour meeting I purposefully asked him what he thought about the future of international relations  iraqbbc newsgabriel gatehousethe new york timesjohn lelandhaaretzzvi bar'elthe jordan timestaylor luckthe associated pressjeff karoubthe los angeles timesraheem salmancnnjomana karadsheh
Terry thinks she's a man
Yesterday on NPR's Fresh Air the hour went to a male TV critic  It's always a man with Terry  Always  And somebody tell her that a snotty, snooty TV critic really doesn't make for good programming This is C I 's "Iraq snapshot:" Thursday, December 23, 2010  Chaos and violence continue, Iraqi women make clear their displeasure over the Cabinet make up, Daniel Ellsberg and Veterans for Peace get some recognition, and more  Last Thursday a protest held outside the White House  One of the organizers was Veterans for Peace and Pentagon Papers whistle blower Daniel Ellsberg participated and spoke  Juana Bordas (Washington Post) advocates for both of them to be named persons of the year: Veterans for Peace and Daniel Ellsberg should be this year's person of the year because of their courage and bravery to stand up for all of us who believe that "war is not the answer " Moreover in a time of economic recession, the war machine is bankrupting our country  As John Amidon, a Marine Corps veteran from Albany asked at the White House protest, "How is the war economy working for you?"While unemployment rates hover near 10 percent, there is no doubt that the U S  economy and quality of life is faltering  Worldwide we are 14th in education, 37th in the World Health Organization's ranking on medical systems, and 23rd in the U N  Environmental Sustainability Index on being most livable and greenest benefits  There is one place we take the undeniable world lead  The US military spending accounts for a whopping 46 5 percent of world military spending--the next ten countries combined come in at only 20 7 percent  Linda Pershing (Truthout) reports, "Responding to a call from the leaders of Stop These Wars(1) - a new coalition of Veterans for Peace and other activists - participants came together in a large-scale performance of civil resistance  A group of veterans under the leadership of Veterans for Peace members Tarak Kauff, Will Covert and Elaine Brower, mother of a Marine who has served three tours of duty in Iraq, sponsored the event with the explicit purpose of putting their bodies on the line  Many participants were Vietnam War veterans; others ranged from Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans in their 20s and 30s to World War II vets in their 80s and older  They were predominately white; men outnumbered women by at least three to one  After a short rally in Lafayette Park, they formed a single-file procession, walking across Pennsylvania Avenue to the solemn beat of a drum  As they reached the police barricade (erected to prevent them from chaining themselves to the gate, a plan they announced on their web site), the activists stood shoulder to shoulder, their bodies forming a human link across the 'picture postcard' tableau in front of the White House " Maria Chutchian (Arlington Advocate) quotes, participant Nate Goldshlag (Vietnam veteran) stating, ""There was a silent, single file march around Lafayette Park to a drum beat  Then we went in front of the White House,  There were barricades set up in front of white house fence  So when we got there, we jumped over barricades and were able to get right next to the White House fence " Participant Linda LeTendre (Daily Gazette) reports: At the end of the rally, before the silent, solemn procession to the White House fence, in honor of those killed in Iraq and Afghan wars of lies and deceptions, the VFP played taps and folded an American flag that had been left behind at a recent funeral for the veteran of one of those wars  Two attendees in full dress uniform held and folded the flag  I had the image of all of the people who stood along the roads and bridges when the bodies of the two local men, Benjamin Osborn and David Miller, were returned to the Capital District  I thought if all of those people were here now or spoke out against war these two fine young men might still be with us I was blessed enough to be held in custody with one of those in uniform; a wonderful young man who had to move from his hometown in Georgia because no one understood why as a veteran he was against these wars  Even his family did not understand  (He remains in my prayers )Our plan was to attach ourselves to the White House fence until President Obama came out and talked to us or until we were arrested and dragged away  I don't have to tell you how it ended Mr  Ellsberg was one of 139 people arrested at that action  We've noted the protest in pretty much every snapshot since last Thursday  If something else comes out that's worth noting on the protest, we'll include it  We will not include people who don't have their facts and it's really sad when they link to, for example, Guardian articles and the links don't even back them up  It's real sad, for example, when they're trashing Hillary (big strong men that they are) and ripping her apart and yet Barack? "Obama's inaccurate statements"??? What the hell is that? You're inferring he lied, say so  Don't be such a little chicken s**t  It's especially embarrasing when you're grandstanding on 'truth ' Especially when you're the little s**t that clogged up the public e-mail account here in the summer of 2008 whining that you were holding Barack to a standard, then admitting that you weren't, then whining that if you did people would be mean to you  Oh, that's sooooooo sad  Someone might say something bad about you  The horror  You must suffer more than all the people in Iraq and Afghanistan combined  While the action took place in DC, actions also took place in other cities  We've already noted NYC's action this week, Doug Kaufmann (Party for Socialism & Liberation) reports on the Los Angeles action: Despite heavy rain, over 100 people gathered in Los Angeles on the corner of Hollywood and Highland to demand an end to the U S  wars on Afghanistan and Iraq  People came from as far as Riverside to protest, braving what Southern California media outlets have dubbed the "storm of the decade " The demonstration, initiated and led by the ANSWER Coalition, broke the routine of holiday shopping and garnered support from activists and even passers by, who joined in chanting "Money for jobs and education -- not for war and occupation!" and "Occupation is a crime -- Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine!" Protesters held banners reading, "U S /NATO Out of Afghanistan!" and "Yes to jobs, housing and education -- no to war, racism and occupation!"Speakers at the demonstration included representatives of Korean Americans for Peace, ANSWER Coalition, KmB Pro-People Youth, Veterans for Peace, Party for Socialism and Liberation and National Lawyers Guild  Tuesday, Nouri al-Maliki managed to put away the political stalemate thanks to a lot of Scotch -- tape to hold the deal together and booze to keep your eyes so crossed you don't question how someone can claim to have formed a Cabinet when they've left over ten positions to be filled at a later date  One group speaking out is women  Bushra Juhi and Qassmi Abdul-Zahra (AP) report, "Iraq's female lawmakers are furious that only one member of the country's new Cabinet is a woman and are demanding better representation in a government that otherwise has been praised by the international community for bringing together the country's religious sects and political parties " As noted Tuesday, though represenation in Parliament is addressed in Iraq's Constitution, there is nothing to address women serving in the Cabinet  Aseel Kami (Reuters) notes one of the most damning aspects of Nouri's chosen men -- a man is heaing the Ministry of Women's Affairs  Iraqiya's spokesperson Maysoon Damluji states, "There are really good women who could do wel       they cannot be neglected and marginalized " Al-Amal's Hanaa Edwar states, "They call it a national (power) sharing government  So where is the sharing? Do they want to take us back to the era of the harem? Do they want to take us back to the dark ages, when women were used only for pleasure " Deborah Amos (NPR's All Things Considered) reports that a struggle is going on between secular impulses and fundamentalist ones  Gallery owner Qasim Sabti states, "We know it's fighting between the religious foolish man and the civilization man  We know we are fighting like Gandhi, and this is a new language in Iraqi life  We have no guns  We do not believe in this kind of fighting " Deborah Amos is the author of Eclipse of the Sunnis: Power, Exile, and Upheaval in the Middle East  Meanwhile Nizar Latif (The National) reports that distrust is a common reaction to the new government in Baghdad and quotes high school teacher Hussein Abed Mohammad stating, "Promises were made that trustworthy, competent people would be ministers this time around, but it looks as if everything has just been divided out according to sectarian itnerests  No attention has been paid to forming a functioning government, it is just a political settlement of vested interests  I'm sure al Maliki will have the same problems in his next four years as he had in the last four years " Days away from the ten months mark, Nouri managed to finally end the stalemate  Some try to make sense of it and that must have been some office party that the editorial board of the Washington Post is still coming down from judging by "A good year in Iraq " First up, meet the new Iraqi Body Count -- an organization that provides cover for the war and allows supporters of the illegal war to point to it and insist/slur "Things aren't so bad!" Sure enough, the editorial board of the Post does just that noting the laughable "civilian deaths" count at iCasualities  As we noted -- long, long before we walked away from that crap ass website, they're not doing a civilian count 
Context 2: McPherson County (standard abbreviation: MP) is a county located in the U S  state of Kansas   As of the 2020 census, the county population was 30,223  The largest city and county seat is McPherson  The county is named for Civil War General James B  McPherson 

History

Early history

For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans  From the 16th century to 18th century, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America  In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France secretly ceded New France to Spain, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau  In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles 

In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2 83 cents per acre  In 1848, after the Mexican–American War, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo with Spain brought into the United States all or part of land for ten future states, including southwest Kansas  In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U S  state 

19th century

From the 1820s to 1870s, the Santa Fe Trail passed through, what is now McPherson County  The trail entered the county, east of Canton, then south of Galva, then north of Inman, and west towards Lyons  In 1855, Charles O  Fuller established a ranch adjacent to the Running Turkey Creek Crossing about two miles south and one mile east of Galva  Fuller's Ranch provided accommodations for travelers on the Santa Fe Trail and was probably the first white settlement in McPherson County 

Peketon County was established in 1860, by the passage of a bill by S  N  Wood:  An act to establish Peketon County  Section 1  - That all that territory west of the sixth principal meridian and south of Township 16, in Kansas Territory, be and the same is hereby erected into a county, to be known by the name of Peketon County  On February 17, 1865, Peketon County was abolished, and McPherson County was made a part of Marion County, which extended from the west line of Chase County to the present western boundary of Kansas 

In 1868, Solomon Stephens and L  N  Holmberg were appointed Justices of the Peace—the first officers in what is now McPherson County  The next year (1869) occurred the first election for the township, now the county of McPherson  McPherson was regularly organized as a county in the spring of 1870, a mass meeting being held at Sweadal  Sweadal, the county seat thus selected, was located about one mile and a half southwest of the present site of Lindsborg  In September, however, the County Commissioners resolved to meet at the latter place, McPherson which had already been located some two years 

In April, 1873, a petition was filed for the county seat re-location  It was signed by 483 voters, and a special election was accordingly ordered for June 10  Upon that day, McPherson received 605 votes, New Gottland 325, King City 3 and Lindsborg 1; McPherson's majority over all, 276  In May the McPherson Town Company had offered, as an inducement for the location of the county seat at this point, the free use of rooms for ten years, and the donation of two squares of land on the town site  The offer was accepted the next month, the County Commissioners selecting blocks 56 and 65  Thus the county seat was established at McPherson and has remained since 

As early as 1875, city leaders of Marion held a meeting to consider a branch railroad from Florence  In 1878, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and parties from Marion County and McPherson County chartered the Marion and McPherson Railway Company   In 1879, a branch line was built from Florence to McPherson, in 1880 it was extended to Lyons, in 1881 it was extended to Ellinwood  The line was leased and operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway  The line from Florence to Marion, was abandoned in 1968  In 1992, the line from Marion to McPherson was sold to Central Kansas Railway  In 1993, after heavy flood damage, the line from Marion to McPherson was abandoned  The original branch line connected Florence, Marion, Canada, Hillsboro, Lehigh, Canton, Galva, McPherson, Conway, Windom, Little River, Mitchell, Lyons, Chase, then connected with the original AT&SF main line at Ellinwood 

In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway extended its main line from Herington to Pratt   This main line connected Herington, Ramona, Tampa, Durham, Waldeck, Canton, Galva, McPherson, Groveland, Inman, Medora, Hutchinson, Whiteside, Partridge, Arlington,  Langdon, Turon, Preston, Natrona, Pratt   In 1888, this main line was extended to Liberal   Later, this line was extended to Tucumcari, New Mexico and Santa Rosa, New Mexico, where it made a connection with the Southern Pacific from El Paso, Texas   The Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway was absorbed by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway  This line is also called the "Golden State Route" 

20th century
The National Old Trails Road, also known as the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, was established in 1912, and was routed through Windom, Conway, McPherson 

Geography

According to the U S  Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which  is land and  (0 3%) is water 

Adjacent counties
 Saline County (north)
 Dickinson County (northeast)
 Marion County (east)
 Harvey County (southeast)
 Reno County (southwest)
 Rice County (west)
 Ellsworth County (northwest)

Major highways
  Interstate 135
  U S  Route 56
  U S  Route 81
  K-4
  K-61
  K-153

Demographics

The McPherson Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of McPherson County 

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 29,554 people, 11,205 households, and 7,966 families residing in the county   The population density was 33 people per square mile (13/km2)   There were 11,830 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km2)   The racial makeup of the county was 96 53% White, 0 81% Black or African American, 0 34% Native American, 0 32% Asian, 0 06% Pacific Islander, 0 79% from other races, and 1 16% from two or more races   1 94% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race  37 1% were of German, 12 9% Swedish, 12 1% American, 6 7% English and 6 3% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000 

There were 11,205 households, out of which 33 00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62 50% were married couples living together, 6 00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28 90% were non-families  25 50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11 80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older   The average household size was 2 49 and the average family size was 2 99 

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25 40% under the age of 18, 10 30% from 18 to 24, 25 20% from 25 to 44, 21 80% from 45 to 64, and 17 30% who were 65 years of age or older   The median age was 38 years  For every 100 females there were 95 90 males   For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92 90 males 

The median income for a household in the county was $41,138, and the median income for a family was $48,243  Males had a median income of $33,530 versus $21,175 for females  The per capita income for the county was $18,921   About 4 20% of families and 6 60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5 20% of those under age 18 and 8 10% of those age 65 or over 

Government

Presidential elections
McPherson county is often carried by Republican candidates  The last time a Democratic candidate has carried this county was in 1964 by Lyndon B  Johnson 

Laws
Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, the county remained a prohibition, or "dry", county until 1996, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30 percent food sales requirement 

Education

Colleges
 McPherson College in McPherson
 Bethany College in Lindsborg
 Central Christian College in McPherson

Unified school districts
 Smoky Valley USD 400
 McPherson USD 418
 Canton-Galva USD 419
 Moundridge USD 423
 Inman USD 448

School district office in neighboring county
 Goessel USD 411
 Little River-Windom USD 444

Museums
 Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery in Lindsborg
 McCormick-Deering Days Museum in Inman
 McPherson Museum in McPherson
 Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum in Lindsborg
 Kansas Motorcycle Museum in Marquette

Communities

Cities

 Canton
 Galva
 Inman
 Lindsborg
 Marquette
 McPherson (county seat) 
 Moundridge
 Windom

Unincorporated communities
† means a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau 
 Conway
 Elyria†
 Groveland
 Johnstown
 New Gottland
 Roxbury†

Ghost towns
 Alta Mills
 Battle Hill
 Christian
 Doles Park
 Elivon
 King City
 Sweadal

Townships
McPherson County is divided into twenty-five townships   The cities of Lindsborg and McPherson are considered governmentally independent and are excluded from the census figures for the townships   In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size 

See also
 List of people from McPherson County, Kansas
 National Register of Historic Places listings in McPherson County, Kansas
 McPherson Valley Wetlands
 Maxwell Wildlife Refuge

References

Notes

Further reading

 Wheeler, Wayne Leland  "An Analysis of Social Change in a Swedish-Immigrant Community: The Case of Lindsborg, Kansas " (PhD dissertation, University of Missouri-Columbia; ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 1959  5905657) 

County
 Through the Years: A Pictorial History of McPherson County; McPherson Sentinel' Heritage House Publishing Co; 1992 
 McPherson County First Courthouse Built About 1869 or 1870; Lindsborg News-Record; March 30, 1959 
 Pioneer Life and Lore of McPherson County, Kansas; Edna Nyquist; Democratic-Opinion Press; 1932 
 A History of the Church of the Brethren in Kansas (includes McPherson College history); Elmer LeRoy Craik; McPherson Daily; Republican Press; 397 pages; 1922 
 Portrait and Biographical Record of Dickinson, Saline, McPherson, and Marion Counties, Kansas; Chapman Bros; 614 pages; 1893 
 Standard Atlas of McPherson County, Kansas; Geo  A  Ogle & Co; 82 pages; 1921 
 Plat Book of McPherson County, Kansas; North West Publishing Co; 50 pages; 1903 
 Edwards' Atlas of McPherson County, Kansas; John P  Edwards; 51 pages; 1884 

Trails
 The Story of the Marking of the Santa Fe Trail by the Daughters of the American Revolution in Kansas and the State of Kansas; Almira Cordry; Crane Co; 164 pages; 1915  (Download 4MB PDF eBook)
 The National Old Trails Road To Southern California, Part 1 (LA to KC); Automobile Club Of Southern California; 64 pages; 1916  (Download 6 8MB PDF eBook)

Mennonite Settlements
 Impact of Mennonite settlement on the cultural landscape of Kansas; Brenda Martin; Kansas State University; 1985/1988  
 Mennonite settlement : the relationship between the physical and cultural environment; Susan Movle; University of Utah; 1975/1886 
 Status of Mennonite women in Kansas in their church and home relationships; Eva Harshbarger; Bluffton College; 1925/1945 

External links

County
 
 McPherson County - Directory of Public Officials
Historical
 , from Hatteberg's People'' on KAKE TV news
Maps
 McPherson County Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
 Kansas Highway Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
 Kansas Railroad Maps: Current, 1996, 1915, KDOT and Kansas Historical Society

 
Kansas counties
1867 establishments in Kansas
Populated places established in 1867
Context 3: \section{introduction}
In the past few years, the synthesis of ferromagnetic semiconductors has become a major challenge for spintronics  Actually, growing a magnetic and semiconducting material could lead to promising advances like spin injection into non magnetic semiconductors, or electrical manipulation of carrier induced magnetism in magnetic semiconductors \cite{ohno00,Bouk02}  Up to now, major efforts have focused on diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS) in which the host semiconducting matrix is randomly substituted by transition metal (TM) ions such as Mn, Cr, Ni, Fe or Co \cite{Diet02}  However Curie temperatures ($T_{C}$) in DMS remain rather low and TM concentrations must be drastically raised in order to increase $T_{C}$ up to room temperature  That usually leads to phase separation and the formation of secondary phases  It was recently shown that phase separation induced by spinodal decomposition could lead to a significant increase of $T_{C}$ \cite{Diet06,Fuku06}  For semiconductors showing $T_{C}$ higher than room temperature one can foresee the fabrication of nanodevices such as memory nanodots, or nanochannels for spin injection  Therefore, the precise control of inhomogeneities appears as a new challenge which may open a way to industrial applications of ferromagnetism in semiconductors 

The increasing interest in group-IV magnetic semiconductors can also be explained by their potential compatibility with the existing silicon technology  In 2002, carrier mediated ferromagnetism was reported in  MBE grown Ge$_{0 94}$Mn$_{0 06}$ films by Park \textit{et al } \cite{Park02}  The maximum critical temperature was 116 K  Recently many publications indicate a significant increase of $T_{C}$ in Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ material depending on growth conditions \cite{Pint05,Li05,tsui03}  Cho \textit{et al } reported a Curie temperature as high as 285 K \cite{Cho02}  
Taking into account the strong tendency of Mn ions to form intermetallic compounds in germanium, a detailed investigation of the nanoscale structure is required  Up to now, only a few studies have focused on the nanoscale composition in Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ films  Local chemical inhomogeneities have been recently reported by Kang \textit{et al } \cite{Kang05} who evidenced a micrometer scale segregation of manganese in large Mn rich stripes  Ge$_3$Mn$_5$ as well as Ge$_8$Mn$_{11}$ clusters embedded in a germanium matrix have been reported by many authors  However, Curie temperatures never exceed 300 K \cite{Bihl06,Morr06,Pass06,Ahle06}  Ge$_3$Mn$_5$ clusters exhibit a Curie temperature of 296 K \cite{Mass90}  This phase frequently observed in Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ films is the most stable (Ge,Mn) alloy  The other stable compound Ge$_8$Mn$_{11}$ has also been observed in nanocrystallites surrounded with pure germanium \cite{Park01}  Ge$_8$Mn$_{11}$ and Ge$_3$Mn$_5$ phases are ferromagnetic but their metallic character considerably complicates their potential use as spin injectors 
Recently, some new Mn-rich nanostructures have been evidenced in Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ layers  Sugahara \textit{et al } \cite{Sugh05} reported the formation of high Mn content (between 10 \% and 20 \% of Mn) amorphous Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_x$ precipitates  in a Mn-free germanium matrix  Mn-rich coherent cubic clusters were observed by Ahlers \textit{et al } \cite{Ahle06} which exhibit a Curie temperatures below 200 K  Finally, high-$T_{C}$ ($>$ 400 K) Mn-rich nanocolumns have been evidenced \cite{Jame06} which could lead to silicon compatible room temperature operational devices \\
In the present paper, we investigate the structural and magnetic properties of Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_x$ thin films for low growth temperatures ($<$ 200$^{\circ}$C) and low Mn concentrations (between 1 \% and 11 \%)  By combining TEM, x-Ray diffraction and SQUID magnetometry, we could identify different magnetic phases  We show that depending on growth conditions, we obtain either Mn-rich nanocolumns or Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ clusters embedded in a germanium matrix  We discuss the structural and magnetic properties of these nanostructures as a function of manganese concentration and growth temperature  We also discuss the magnetic anisotropy of nanocolumns and  
Ge$_3$Mn$_5$ clusters  

\section{Sample growth}

Growth was performed using solid sources molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) by co-depositing Ge and Mn evaporated from standard Knudsen effusion cells   Deposition rate was low ($\approx$ 0 2 \AA s$^{-1}$)  Germanium substrates were epi-ready Ge(001) wafers with a residual n-type doping and resistivity of 10$^{15}$ cm$^{-3}$ and 5 $\Omega cm$ respectively  After thermal desorption of the surface oxide, a 40 nm thick Ge buffer layer was grown at 250$^{\circ}$C, resulting in a 2 $\times$ 1 surface reconstruction as observed by reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) (see Fig  1a)  Next, 80 nm thick Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ films were subsequently grown  at low substrate temperature (from 80$^{\circ}$C to 200$^{\circ}$C)  Mn content has been determined by x-ray fluorescence measurements performed on thick samples ($\approx$ 1 $\mu m$ thick) and complementary Rutherford Back Scattering (RBS) on thin Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ films grown on silicon  Mn concentrations range from 1 \% to 11\% Mn 

For Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ films grown at substrate temperatures below 180$^{\circ}$C, after the first monolayer (ML) deposition, the  2 $\times$ 1 surface reconstruction almost totally disappears  After depositing few MLs, a slightly diffuse 1 $\times$ 1 streaky RHEED pattern and a very weak 2 $\times$ 1 reconstruction (Fig  1b) indicate a predominantly two-dimensional growth  For growth temperatures above 180$^{\circ}$C additional spots appear in the RHEED pattern during the Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ growth (Fig  1c)  These spots may correspond to the formation of very small secondary phase crystallites  The nature of these crystallites will be discussed below 

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations were performed using a JEOL 4000EX microscope with an acceleration voltage of 400 kV  Energy filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM) was done using a JEOL 3010 microscope equipped with a Gatan Image Filter   Sample preparation was carried out by standard mechanical polishing and argon ion milling for cross-section investigations and plane views were prepared by wet etching with H$_3$PO$_4$-H$_2$O$_2$ solution \cite{Kaga82} 

\begin{figure}[htb]
    \center
    \includegraphics[width= 29\linewidth]{ /fig1a eps}
    \includegraphics[width= 29\linewidth]{ /fig1b eps}
    \includegraphics[width= 29\linewidth]{ /fig1c eps}
    \caption{RHEED patterns recorded during the growth of Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ films: (a) 2 $\times$ 1 surface reconstruction of the germanium buffer layer  (b) 1 $\times$ 1 streaky RHEED pattern obtained at low growth temperatures ($T_g<$180$^{\circ}$C)  (c) RHEED pattern of a sample grown at $T_g=$180$^{\circ}$C  The additional spots reveal the presence of Ge$_3$Mn$_5$ clusters at the surface of the film }
\label{fig1}
\end{figure}

\section{Structural properties \label{structural}}

\begin{figure}[htb]
    \center
	\includegraphics[width= 49\linewidth]{ /fig2a eps}
	\includegraphics[width= 49\linewidth]{ /fig2b eps}
	 \includegraphics[width= 49\linewidth]{ /fig2c eps}
	 \includegraphics[width= 49\linewidth]{ /fig2d eps}
    \caption{Transmission electron micrographs of a Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ film grown at 130$^{\circ}$C and containing 6 \% of manganese  (a) cross-section along the [110] axis : we clearly see the presence of nanocolumns elongated along the growth axis  (b) High resolution image of the interface between the Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ film and the Ge buffer layer  The Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ film exhibits the same diamond structure as pure germanium  No defect can be seen which could be caused by the presence of nanocolumns  (c) Plane view micrograph performed on the same sample confirms the columnar structure and gives the density and size distribution of nanocolumns  (d) Mn chemical map obtained by energy filtered transmission electron microcopy (EFTEM)  The background was carefully substracted from pre-edge images  Bright areas correspond to Mn-rich regions }
\label{fig2}
\end{figure}

In samples grown at 130$^{\circ}$C and containing 6 \% Mn, we can observe vertical elongated nanostructures \textit{i e } nanocolumns as shown in Fig  2a  Nanocolumns extend through the whole Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ film thickness  From the high resolution TEM image shown in Fig  2b, we deduce their average diameter around 3 nm  Moreover in Fig  2b, the interface between the Ge buffer layer and the Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ film is flat and no defect propagates from the interface into the film  The Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ film is a perfect single crystal in epitaxial relationship with the substrate  In Fig  2c is shown a plane view micrograph of the same sample confirming the presence of nanocolumns in the film  From this image, we can deduce the size and density of nanocolumns  The nanocolumns density is 13000 $\rm{\mu m}^{-2}$ with a mean diameter of 3 nm which is coherent with cross-section measurements  In order to estimate the chemical composition of these nanocolumns, we further performed chemical mapping using EFTEM  In Fig  2d we show a cross sectional Mn chemical map of the Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ film  This map shows that the formation of nanocolumns is a consequence of Mn segregation  Nanocolumns are Mn rich and the surrounding matrix is Mn poor  However, it is impossible to deduce the Mn concentration in Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ nanocolumns from this cross section  Indeed, in cross section observations, the columns diameter is much smaller than the probed film thickness and the signal comes from the superposititon of the Ge matrix and Mn-rich nanocolumns  In order to quantify Mn concentration inside the nanocolumns and inside the Ge matrix, EELS measurements (not shown here) have been performed in a plane view geometry \cite{Jame06}  These observations revealed that the matrix Mn content is below 1 \% (detection limit of our instrument)  Measuring the surface occupied by the matrix and the nanocolumns in plane view TEM images, and considering the average Mn concentration in the sample (6 \%), we can estimate the Mn concentration in the nanocolumns  The Mn concentration measured by EELS being between 0\% and 1\%, we can conclude that the Mn content in the nanocolumns is between 30 \% and 38 \% \\
For samples grown between 80$^\circ$C and 150$^\circ$C cross section and plane view TEM observations reveal the presence of Mn rich nanocolumns surrounded with a Mn poor Ge matrix  In order to investigate the influence of Mn concentration on the structural properties of Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ films, ten samples have been grown at 100$^\circ$C and at 150$^\circ$C with Mn concentrations of 1 3 \%, 2 3 \%, 4 \%, 7 \% and 11 3 \%  Their structural properties have been investigated by plane view TEM observations  

\begin{figure}[htb]
    \center
    \includegraphics[width= 98\linewidth]{ /fig3a eps}
	\includegraphics[width= 45\linewidth]{ /fig3b eps}
		\includegraphics[width= 45\linewidth]{ /fig3c eps}
    \caption{Nanocolumns size and density as a function of growth conditions  Samples considered have been grown at 100$^{\circ}$C and 150$^{\circ}$C respectively  (a) Mn concentration dependence of the size distribution  (b) columns density as a function of Mn concentration  (c) Volume fraction of the nanocolumns as a function of Mn concentration }
 \label{fig3}
\end{figure}

For samples grown at 100$^\circ$C with Mn concentrations below 5 \% the nanocolumns mean diameter is 1 8$\pm$0 2 nm  The evolution of columns density as a fonction of Mn concentration is reported in figure 3b  By increasing the Mn concentration from 1 3 \% to 4 \% we observe a significant increase of the columns density from 13000 to 30000 $\rm{\mu m}^{-2}$  For Mn concentrations higher than 5 \% the density seems to reach a plateau corresponding to 35000 $\rm{\mu m}^{-2}$ and their diameter slightly increases from 1 8 nm at 4 \% to 2 8 nm at 11 3 \%  By plotting the volume fraction occupied by the columns in the film as a function of Mn concentration, we observe a linear dependence for Mn contents below 5 \%  The non-linear behavior above 5 \% may indicate that the mechanism of Mn incorporation is different in this concentration range, leading to an increase of Mn concentration in the columns or in the matrix  For samples grown at 100$^\circ$C, nanocolumns are always fully coherent with the surrounding matrix (Fig  4a)  

Increasing the Mn content in the samples grown at 150$^\circ$C from 1 3 \% to 11 3 \% leads to a decrease of the columns density (fig 3b)  Moreover, their average diameter increases significantly and size distributions become very broad (see Fig  3a)  For the highest Mn concentration (11 3 \%) we observe the coexistence of very small columns with a diameter of 2 5 nm and very large columns with a diameter of 9 nm  In samples grown at 150$^\circ$C containing 11 3 \% of Mn, the crystalline structure of nanocolumns is also highly modified  In plane view TEM micrographs, one can see columns exhibiting several different crystalline structures  We still observe some columns which are fully coherent with the Ge matrix like in the samples grown at lower temperature  Nevertheless, observations performed on these samples grown at 150$^\circ$C and with 11 3\% Mn reveal some uniaxially \cite{Jame06} or fully relaxed columns exhibiting a misfit of 4 \% between the matrix and the columns and leading to misfit dislocations at the interface between the column and the matrix (see fig  4b)  Thus we can conclude that coherent columns are probably in strong compression and the surrounding matrix in tension



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Context 3:  On the same samples (T$_g$=150$^{\circ}$C, 11 3\% Mn), we also observe a large number of highly disordered nanocolumns leading to an amorphous like TEM contrast(fig  4c) 

\begin{figure}[htb]
    \center
   \includegraphics[width= 31\linewidth]{ /fig4a eps}
	\includegraphics[width= 31\linewidth]{ /fig4b eps}
	\includegraphics[width= 31\linewidth]{ /fig4c eps}
    \caption{Plane view high resolution transmission electron micrographs of different types of nanocolumns : (a) typical structure of a column grown at 100$^{\circ}$C  The crystal structure is exactly the same as germanium   (b) Partially relaxed nanocolumn  One can see dislocations at the interface between the columns and the matrix leading to stress relaxation  (c) Amorphous nanocolumn  These columns are typical in samples grown at 150$^{\circ}$C with high Mn contents }
 \label{fig4}
\end{figure}

In conclusion, we have evidenced a complex mechanism of Mn incorporation in Mn doped Ge films grown at low temperature  In particular Mn incorporation is highly inhomogeneous  For very low growth temperatures (below 120$^\circ$C) the diffusion of Mn atoms leads to the formation of Mn rich, vertical nanocolumns  Their density mostly depends on Mn concentration and their mean diameter is about 2 nm  These results can be compared with the theoretical predictions of Fukushima \textit{et al } \cite{Fuku06}: they proposed a model of spinodal decomposition in (Ga,Mn)N and (Zn,Cr)Te based on layer by layer growth conditions and a strong pair attraction between Mn atoms which leads to the formation of nanocolumns  This model may also properly describe the formation of Mn rich nanocolumns in our samples  Layer by layer growth conditions can be deduced from RHEED pattern evolution during growth  For all the samples grown at low temperature, RHEED observations clearly indicate two-dimensional growth  Moreover, Ge/Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$/Ge heterostructures have been grown and observed by TEM (see Fig  5)  Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$/Ge (as well as Ge/Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$) interfaces are very flat and sharp thus confirming a two-dimensional, layer by layer growth mode  Therefore we can assume that the formation of Mn rich nanocolumns is a consequence of 2D-spinodal decomposition 

\begin{figure}[htb]
    \center
	\includegraphics[width= 7\linewidth]{ /fig5 eps}
    \caption{Cross section high resolution micrograph of a Ge/Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$/Ge/Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$/Ge heterostructure  This sample has been grown at 130 $^{\circ}$C with 6\% Mn  Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ layers are 15 nm thick and Ge spacers 5 nm thick  We clearly see the sharpness of both Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$/Ge and Ge/Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ interfaces  Mn segregation leading to the columns formation already takes place in very thin Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ films }
\label{fig5}
\end{figure}

For growth temperatures higher than 160$^\circ$C, cross section TEM and EFTEM observations (not shown here) reveal the coexistence of two Mn-rich phases: nanocolumns and Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ nanoclusters embedded in the germanium matrix  A typical high resolution TEM image is shown in figure 6  
Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ clusters are not visible in RHEED patterns for temperatures below 180$^\circ$C  To investigate the nature of these clusters, we performed x-ray diffraction in $\theta-2\theta$ mode  Diffraction scans were acquired on a high resolution diffractometer using the copper K$_\alpha$ radiation and on the GMT station of the BM32 beamline at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF)  Three samples grown at different temperatures and/or annealed at high temperature were investigated  The two first samples are Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ films grown at 130$^\circ$C and 170$^\circ$C respectively  The third one has been grown at 130$^\circ$C and post-growth annealed at 650$^\circ$C  By analysing x-ray diffraction spectra, we can evidence two different crystalline structures  For the sample grown at 130$^\circ$C, the $\theta-2\theta$ scan only reveals the (004) Bragg peak of the germanium crystal, confirming the good epitaxial relationship between the layer and the substrate, and the absence of secondary phases in the film in spite of a high dynamics of the order of 10$^7$  For both samples grown at 170$^\circ$C and annealed at 650$^\circ$C, $\theta-2\theta$ spectra are identical  In addition to the (004) peak of germanium, we observe three additional weak peaks  The first one corresponds to the (002) germanium forbidden peak which probably comes from a small distortion of the germanium crystal, and the two other peaks are respectively attributed to the (002) and (004) Bragg peaks of a secondary phase  The $c$ lattice parameter of Ge$_3$Mn$_5$ hexagonal crystal is 5 053 \AA \ \cite{Fort90} which is in very good agreement with the values obtained from diffraction data for both (002) and (004) lines assuming that the $c$ axis of Ge$_3$Mn$_5$ is along the [001] direction of the Ge substrate 

\begin{figure}[htb]
    \center
	\includegraphics[width= 7\linewidth]{ /fig6 eps}
	\caption{Cross section high resolution transmission electron micrograph of a sample grown at 170$^{\circ}$C  We observe the coexistence of two different Mn-rich phases: Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ nanocolumns and Ge$_3$Mn$_5$ clusters }
\label{fig6}
\end{figure}

In summary, in a wide range of growth temperatures and Mn concentrations, we have evidenced a two-dimensional spinodal decomposition leading to the formation of Mn-rich nanocolumns in Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ films  This decomposition is probably the consequence of: $(i)$ a strong pair attraction between Mn atoms, $(ii)$ a strong surface diffusion of Mn atoms in germanium even at low growth temperatures and $(iii)$ layer by layer growth conditions  We have also investigated the influence of growth parameters on the spinodal decomposition: at low growth temperatures (100$^{\circ}$C), increasing the Mn content leads to higher columns densities while at higher growth temperatures (150$^{\circ}$C), the columns density remains nearly constant whereas their size increases drastically  By plotting the nanocolumns density as a function of Mn content, we have shown that the mechanism of Mn incorporation in Ge changes above 5 \% of Mn  Finally, using TEM observations and x-ray diffraction, we have shown that Ge$_3$Mn$_5$ nanoclusters start to form at growth temperatures higher than 160$^\circ$C 

\section{Magnetic properties \label{magnetic}}

We have thoroughly investigated the magnetic properties of thin Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ films for different growth temperatures and Mn concentrations  In this section, we focus on Mn concentrations between 2 \% and 11 \%  We could clearly identify four different magnetic phases in Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ films : diluted Mn atoms in the germanium matrix, low $T_{C}$ nanocolumns ($T_{C}$ $\leq$ 170 K), high $T_{C}$ nanocolumns ($T_{C}$ $\geq$ 400 K) and Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ clusters ($T_{C}$ $\thickapprox$ 300 K)  The relative weight of each phase clearly depends on the growth temperature and to a lesser extend on Mn concentration  For low growth temperature ($<$ 120$^{\circ}$C), we show that nanocolumns are actually made of four uncorrelated superparamagnetic nanostructures  Increasing T$_{g}$ above 120$^{\circ}$C, we first obtain continuous columns exhibiting low $T_{C}$ ($<$ 170 K) and high $T_{C}$ ($>$ 400 K) for $T_{g}\approx$130$^{\circ}$C  The larger columns become ferromagnetic \textit{i e } $T_{B}>T_{C}$  Meanwhile Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ clusters start to form  Finally for higher $T_{g}$, the magnetic contribution from Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ clusters keeps increasing while the nanocolumns signal progressively disappears 

\begin{figure}[htb]
\center
   \includegraphics[width= 6\linewidth]{ /fig7a eps}
   \includegraphics[width= 3\linewidth]{ /fig7b eps}
\caption{(a) Temperature dependence of the saturation magnetization (in $\mu_{B}$/Mn) of Ge$_{0 93}$Mn$_{0 07}$ samples for different growth temperatures  The magnetic field is applied in the film plane  The inset shows the temperature dependence of a sample grown at 130$^{\circ}$C and annealed at 650$^{\circ}$C for 15 minutes  After annealing, the magnetic signal mostly arises from Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ clusters  (b) ZFC-FC measurements performed on Ge$_{0 93}$Mn$_{0 07}$ samples for different growth temperatures  The in-plane applied field is 0 015 T  The ZFC peak at low temperature ($\leq$150 K) can be attributed to the superparamagnetic nanocolumns  This peak widens and shifts towards high blocking temperatures when increasing growth temperature  The second peak above 150 K in the ZFC curve which increases with increasing growth temperature is attributed to superparamagnetic Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ clusters  The increasing ZFC-FC irreversibility at $\approx$ 300 K is due to the increasing contribution from large ferromagnetic Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ clusters  The nanocolumns signal completely vanishes after annealing at 650$^{\circ}$C for 15 minutes }
\label{fig7}
\end{figure}

In Fig  7a, the saturation magnetization at 2 Tesla in $\mu_{B}$/Mn of Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ films with 7 \% of Mn is plotted as a function of temperature for different growth temperatures ranging from $T_{g}$=90$^{\circ}$C up to 160$^{\circ}$C  The inset shows the temperature dependence of the magnetization at 2 Tesla after annealing at 650$^{\circ}$C during 15 minutes  Figure 7b displays the corresponding Zero Field Cooled - Field Cooled (ZFC-FC) curves recorded at 0 015 Tesla  In the ZFC-FC procedure, the sample is first cooled down to 5 K in zero magnetic field and the susceptibility is subsequently recorded at 0 015 Tesla while increasing the temperature up to 400 K (ZFC curve)  Then, the susceptibility is recorded under the same magnetic field while decreasing the temperature down to 5 K (FC curve)  Three different regimes can be clearly distinguished  \\
For $T_{g}\leq$120$^{\circ}$C, the temperature dependence of the saturation magnetization remains nearly the same while increasing growth temperature  The overall magnetic signal vanishing above 200 K is attributed to the nanocolumns whereas the increasing signal below 50 K originates from diluted Mn atoms in the surrounding matrix  The Mn concentration dependence of the saturation magnetization is displayed in figure 8  For the lowest Mn concentration (4 \%), the contribution from diluted Mn atoms is very high and drops sharply for higher Mn concentrations (7 \%, 9 \% and 11 3 \%)  Therefore the fraction of Mn atoms in the diluted matrix decreases with Mn concentration probably because Mn atoms are more and more incorporated in the nanocolumns  In parallel, the Curie temperature of nanocolumns increases with the Mn concentration reaching 170 K for 11 3 \% of Mn  This behavior may be related to different Mn compositions and to the increasing diameter of nanocolumns (from 1 8 nm to 2 8 nm) as discussed in section \ref{structural} 

\begin{figure}[htb]
\center
   \includegraphics[width= 7\linewidth]{ /fig8 eps}
    \caption{Temperature dependence of the saturation magnetization (in $\mu_{B}$/Mn) of Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ films grown at 100$^{\circ}$C plotted for different Mn concentrations: 4 1 \%; 7 \%; 8 9 \% and 11 3 \% }
\label{fig8}
\end{figure}

ZFC-FC measurements show that the nanocolumns are superparamagnetic  The magnetic signal from the diluted Mn atoms in the matrix is too weak to be detected in susceptibility measurements at low temperature  In samples containing 4 \% of Mn, ZFC and FC curves superimpose down to low temperatures  As we do not observe hysteresis loops at low temperature, we believe that at this Mn concentration nanocolumns are  superparamagnetic in the whole temperature range and the blocking temperature cannot be measured  For higher Mn contents, the ZFC curve exhibits a very narrow peak with a maximum at the blocking temperature of 15 K whatever the Mn concentration and growth temperature (see Fig  7b)  Therefore the anisotropy barrier distribution is narrow and assuming that nanocolumns have the same magnetic anisotropy, this is a consequence of the very narrow size distribution of the nanocolumns as observed by TEM  To probe the anisotropy barrier distribution, we have performed ZFC-FC measurements but instead of warming the sample up to 400 K, we stopped at a lower temperature $T_{0}$  

\begin{figure}[htb]
\center
   \includegraphics[width= 6\linewidth]{ /fig9 eps}
\caption{Schematic drawing of the anisotropy barrier distribution n($E_{B}$) of superparamagnetic nanostructures  If magnetic anisotropy does not depend on the particle size, this distribution exactly reflects their magnetic size distribution  In this drawing the blocking temperature ($T_{B}$) corresponds to the distribution maximum  At a given temperature $T_{0}$ such that 25$k_{B}T_{0}$ falls into the anisotropy barrier distribution, the largest nanostructures with an anisotropy energy larger than 25$k_{B}T_{0}$ are blocked whereas the others are superparamagnetic }
\label{fig9}
\end{figure}

If this temperature falls into the anisotropy barrier distribution as depicted in Fig  9, the FC curve deviates from the ZFC curve  Indeed the smallest nanostructures have become superparamagnetic at $T_{0}$ and when decreasing again the temperature, their magnetization freezes along a direction close to the magnetic field and the FC susceptibility is higher than the ZFC susceptibility  Therefore any irreversibility in this procedure points at the presence of superparamagnetic nanostructures  The results are given in Fig  10a  ZFC and FC curves clearly superimpose up to $T_{0}$=250 K thus the nanocolumns are superparamagnetic up to their Curie temperature and no Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ clusters could be detected  Moreover for low $T_{0}$ values, a peak appears at low temperature in FC curves which evidences strong antiferromagnetic interactions between the nanocolumns \cite{Chan00} 

\begin{figure}[htb]
\center
    \includegraphics[width= 35\linewidth]{ /fig10a eps}
    \includegraphics[width= 63\linewidth]{ /fig10b eps}
\caption{(a) ZFC-FC measurements performed on a Ge$_{0 887}$Mn$_{0 113}$ sample grown at 115$^{\circ}$C  The in-plane applied field is 0 015 T  Magnetization was recorded up to different T$_{0}$ temperatures: 30 K, 50 K, 100 K, 150 K, 200 K and 250 K  Curves are shifted up for more clarity  (b) ZFC-FC curves for in-plane and out-of-plane applied fields (0 015 T) }
\label{fig10}
\end{figure}

In order to derive the magnetic size and anisotropy of the Mn-rich nanocolumns embedded in the Ge matrix, we have fitted the inverse normalized in-plane (resp  out-of-plane) susceptibility: $\chi_{\parallel}^{-1}$ (resp  $\chi_{\perp}^{-1}$)  The corresponding experimental ZFC-FC curves are reported in Fig  10b  Since susceptibility measurements are performed at low field (0



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Question: What are some potential applications of ferromagnetic semiconductors?

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Context 3: 015 T), the matrix magnetic signal remains negligible  In order to normalize susceptibility data, we need to divide the magnetic moment by the saturated magnetic moment recorded at 5 T  However the matrix magnetic signal becomes very strong at 5 T and low temperature so that we need to subtract it from the saturated magnetic moment using a simple Curie function  From Fig  10b, we can conclude that nanocolumns are isotropic  Therefore to fit experimental data we use the following expression well suited for isotropic systems or cubic anisotropy: $\chi_{\parallel}^{-1}= \chi_{\perp}^{-1}\approx 3k_{B}T/M(T)+\mu_{0}H_{eff}(T)$  $k_{B}$ is the Boltzmann constant, $M=M_{s}v$ is the magnetic moment of a single-domain nanostructure (macrospin approximation) where $M_{s}$ is its magnetization and $v$ its volume  The in-plane magnetic field is applied along $[110]$ or $[-110]$ crystal axes  Since the nanostructures Curie temperature does not exceed 170 K, the temperature dependence of the saturation magnetization is also accounted for by writting $M(T)$  Antiferromagnetic interactions between nanostructures are also considered by adding an effective field estimated in the mean field approximation \cite{Fruc02}: $\mu_{0}H_{eff}(T)$ 
The only fitting parameters are the maximum magnetic moment (\textit{i e } at low temperature) per nanostructure: $M$ (in Bohr magnetons $\mu_{B}$) and the maximum interaction field (\textit{i e } at low temperature): $\mu_{0}H_{eff}$ 

\begin{figure}[htb]
\center
   \includegraphics[width= 7\linewidth]{ /fig11 eps}
\caption{Temperature dependence of the inverse in-plane (open circles) and out-of-plane (open squares) normalized susceptibilities of a Ge$_{0 887}$Mn$_{0 113}$ sample grown at 115$^{\circ}$C  Fits were performed assuming isotropic nanostructures or cubic anisotropy  Dashed line is for in-plane susceptibility and solid line for out-of-plane susceptibility }
\label{fig11}
\end{figure}

In Fig  11, the best fits lead to $M\approx$1250 $\mu_{B}$ and $\mu_{0}H_{eff}\approx$102 mT for in-plane susceptibility and $M\approx$1600 $\mu_{B}$ and $\mu_{0}H_{eff}\approx$98 mT for out-of-plane susceptibility  It gives an average magnetic moment of 1425 $\mu_{B}$ per column and an effective interaction field of 100 mT  Using this magnetic moment and its temperature dependence, magnetization curves could be fitted using a Langevin function and $M(H/T)$ curves superimpose for $T<$100 K  However, from the saturated magnetic moment of the columns and their density (35000 $\rm{\mu m}^{-2}$), we find almost 6000 $\mu_{B}$ per column  Therefore, for low growth temperatures, we need to assume that nanocolumns are actually made of almost four independent elongated magnetic nanostructures  The effective field for antiferromagnetic interactions between nanostructures estimated from the susceptibility fits is at least one order of magnitude larger than what is expected from pure magnetostatic coupling  This difference may be due to either an additional antiferromagnetic coupling through the matrix which origin remains unexplained or to the mean field approximation which is no more valid in this strong coupling regime  As for magnetic anisotropy, the nanostructures behave as isotropic magnetic systems or exhibit a cubic magnetic anisotropy  First we can confirm that nanostructures are not amorphous otherwise shape anisotropy would dominate leading to out-of-plane anisotropy  We can also rule out a random distribution of magnetic easy axes since the nanostructures are clearly crystallized in the diamond structure and would exhibit at least a cubic anisotropy (except if the random distribution of Mn atoms within the nanostructures can yield random easy axes)  Since the nanostructures are in strong in-plane compression (their lattice parameter is larger than the matrix one), the cubic symmetry of the diamond structure is broken and magnetic cubic anisotropy is thus unlikely  We rather believe that out-of-plane shape anisotropy is nearly compensated by in-plane magnetoelastic anisotropy due to compression leading to a \textit{pseudo} cubic anisotropy  From the blocking temperature (15 K) and the magnetic volume of the nanostructures , we can derive their magnetic anisotropy constant using $Kv=25k_{B}T_{B}$: K$\approx$10 kJ m$^{-3}$ which is of the same order of magnitude as shape anisotropy 

\begin{figure}[htb]
\center
    \includegraphics[width= 35\linewidth]{ /fig12a eps}
    \includegraphics[width= 63\linewidth]{ /fig12b eps} 
\caption{(a) ZFC-FC measurements performed on a Ge$_{0 93}$Mn$_{0 07}$ sample grown at 122$^{\circ}$C  The in-plane applied field is 0 015 T  Magnetization was recorded up to different T$_{0}$ temperatures: 50 K, 100 K, 150 K, 200 K and 250 K  Curves are shifted up for more clarity  (b) ZFC-FC curves for in-plane and out-of-plane applied fields  (0 015 T) }
\label{fig12}
\end{figure}

For growth temperatures $T_{g}\geq$120$^{\circ}$C and Mn concentrations $\geq$ 7 \%, samples exhibit a magnetic signal above 200 K corresponding to Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ clusters (see Fig  7a)  As we can see, SQUID measurements are much more sensitive to the presence of Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ clusters, even at low concentration, than TEM and x-ray diffraction used in section \ref{structural}  We also observe a sharp transition in the ZFC curve (see Fig  7b, Fig  12a and 12b): the peak becomes very large and is shifted towards high blocking temperatures (the signal is maximum at $T=$23 K)  This can be easily understood as a magnetic percolation of the four independent nanostructures obtained at low growth temperatures into a single magnetic nanocolumn  Therefore the magnetic volume increases sharply as well as blocking temperatures  At the same time, the size distribution widens as observed in TEM  In Fig  12a, we have performed ZFC-FC measurements at different $T_{0}$ temperatures  The ZFC-FC irreversibility is observed up to the Curie temperature of $\approx$120 K meaning that a fraction of nanocolumns is ferromagnetic (\textit{i e } $T_{B}\geq T_{C}$) 
In Fig  12b, in-plane and out-of-plane ZFC curves nearly superimpose for $T\leq$150 K due to the isotropic magnetic behavior of the nanocolumns: in-plane magnetoelastic anisotropy is still compensating out-of-plane shape anisotropy  Moreover the magnetic signal above 150 K corresponding to Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ clusters that start to form in this growth temperature range is strongly anisotropic  This perpendicular anisotropy confirms the epitaxial relation: (0002) Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ $\parallel$ (002) Ge discussed in Ref \cite{Bihl06}  The magnetic easy axis of the clusters lies along the hexagonal $c$-axis which is perpendicular to the film plane 

\begin{figure}[ht]
\center
   \includegraphics[width= 35\linewidth]{ /fig13a eps}
   \includegraphics[width= 63\linewidth]{ /fig13b eps} 
\caption{(a) ZFC-FC measurements performed on a Ge$_{0 887}$Mn$_{0 113}$ sample grown at 145$^{\circ}$C  The in-plane applied field is 0 015 T  Magnetization was recorded up to different T$_{0}$ temperatures: 50 K, 100 K, 150 K, 200 K, 250 K and 300 K  Curves are shifted up for more clarity  (b) ZFC-FC curves for in-plane and out-of-plane applied fields (0 015 T) }
\label{fig13}
\end{figure}

For growth temperatures $T_{g}\geq$145$^{\circ}$C the cluster magnetic signal dominates (Fig  13b)  Superparamagnetic nanostructures are investigated performing ZFC-FC measurements at different $T_{0}$ temperatures (Fig  13a)  The first ZFC peak at low temperature \textit{i e } $\leq$ 150 K is attributed to  low-$T_{C}$ nanocolumns ($T_{C}\approx$130 K)  This peak is wider than for lower growth temperatures and its maximum is further shifted up to 30 K  These results are in agreement with TEM observations: increasing $T_{g}$ leads to larger nanocolumns (\textit{i e } higher blocking temperatures) and wider size distributions  ZFC-FC irreversibility is observed up to the Curie temperature due to the presence of ferromagnetic columns  The second peak above 180 K in the ZFC curve is attributed to Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ clusters and the corresponding ZFC-FC irreversibility persisting up to 300 K means that some clusters are ferromagnetic  We clearly evidence the out-of-plane anisotropy of Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ clusters and the isotropic magnetic behavior of nanocolumns (Fig  13b)  In this growth temperature range, we have also investigated the Mn concentration dependence of magnetic properties  

\begin{figure}[ht]
\center
    \includegraphics[width= 49\linewidth]{ /fig14a eps}
    \includegraphics[width= 49\linewidth]{ /fig14b eps} 
\caption{Temperature dependence of the saturation magnetization (in $\mu_{B}$/Mn) of Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ films grown at 150$^{\circ}$C plotted for different Mn concentrations: 2 3 \%; 4 \%; 7 \%; 9 \%; 11 3 \%  (b) ZFC-FC measurements performed on Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ films grown at 150$^{\circ}$C  The in-plane applied field is 0 025 T for 2 3 \% and 4 \% and 0 015 T for 8 \% and 11 3 \%  }
\label{fig14}
\end{figure}

In Fig  14a, for low Mn concentrations (2 3 \% and 4 \%) the contribution from diluted Mn atoms in the germanium matrix to the saturation magnetization is very high and nearly vanishes for higher Mn concentrations (7 \%, 9 \% and 13 \%) as observed for low growth temperatures  Above 7 \%, the magnetic signal mainly comes from nanocolumns and Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ clusters  We can derive more information from ZFC-FC measurements (Fig  14b)  Indeed, for 2 3 \% of Mn, ZFC and FC curves nearly superimpose down to low temperature meaning that nanocolumns are superparamagnetic in the whole temperature range  Moreover the weak irreversibility arising at 300 K  means that some Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ clusters have already formed in the samples even at very low Mn concentrations  For 4 \% of Mn, we can observe a peak with a maximum at the blocking temperature (12 K) in the ZFC curve  We can also derive the Curie temperature of nanocolumns: $\approx$45 K  The irresversibility arising at 300 K still comes from Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ clusters  Increasing the Mn concentration above 7 \% leads to: higher blocking temperatures (20 K and 30 K) due to larger nanocolumns and wider ZFC peaks due to wider size distributions in agreement with TEM observations (see Fig  3a)  Curie temperatures also increase (110 K and 130 K) as well as the contribution from Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ clusters \\
Finally when increasing $T_{g}$ above 160$^{\circ}$C, the nanocolumns magnetic signal vanishes and only Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ clusters and diluted Mn atoms coexist  The overall magnetic signal becomes comparable to the one measured on annealed samples in which only Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ clusters are observed by TEM (see Fig  7a) \\
The magnetic properties of high-$T_{C}$ nanocolumns obtained for $T_{g}$ close to 130$^{\circ}$C are discussed in detail in Ref \cite{Jame06} \\
In conclusion, at low growth temperatures ($T_{g}\leq$120$^{\circ}$C), nanocolumns are made of almost 4 independent elongated magnetic nanostructures  For $T_{g}\geq$120$^{\circ}$C, these independent nanostructures percolate into a single nanocolumn sharply leading to higher blocking temperatures  Increasing $T_{g}$ leads to larger columns with a wider size distribution as evidenced by ZFC-FC measurements and given by TEM observations  In parallel, some Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ clusters start to form and their contribution increases when increasing $T_{g}$  Results on magnetic anisotropy seems counter-intuitive  Indeed Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ clusters exhibit strong out-of-plane anisotropy whereas nanocolumns which are highly elongated magnetic structures are almost isotropic  This effect is probably due to compensating in-plane magnetoelastic coupling (due to the columns compression) and out-of-plane shape anisotropy  

\section{Conclusion}

In this paper, we have investigated the structural and magnetic properties of thin Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ films grown by low temperature molecular beam epitaxy  A wide range of growth temperatures and Mn concentrations have been explored  All the samples contain Mn-rich nanocolumns as a consequence of 2D-spinodal decomposition  However their size, crystalline structure and magnetic properties depend on growth temperature and Mn concentration  For low growth temperatures, nanocolumns are very small (their diameter ranges between 1 8 nm for 1 3 \% of Mn and 2 8 nm for 11 3 \% of Mn), their Curie temperature is rather low ($<$ 170 K) and they behave as almost four uncorrelated superparamagnetic nanostructures  Increasing Mn concentration leads to higher columns densities while diameters remain nearly unchanged  For higher growth temperatures, the nanocolumns mean diameter increases and their size distribution widens  Moreover the 4 independent magnetic nanostructures percolate into a single magnetic nanocolumn  Some columns are ferromagnetic even if Curie temperatures remain quite low  In this regime, increasing Mn concentration leads to larger columns while their density remains nearly the same  In parallel, Ge$_{3}$Mn$_{5}$ nanoclusters start to form in the film with their $c$-axis perpendicular to the film plane  In both temperature regimes, the Mn incorporation mechanism in the nanocolumns and/or in the matrix changes above 5 \% of Mn and nanocolumns exhibit an isotropic magnetic behaviour due to the competing effects of out-of-plane shape anisotropy and in-plane magnetoelastic coupling  Finally for a narrow range of growth temperatures around 130$^{\circ}$C, nanocolumns exhibit Curie temperatures higher than 400 K  Our goal is now to investigate the crystalline structure inside the nanocolumns, in particular the position of Mn atoms in the distorted diamond structure, which is essential to understand magnetic and future transport properties in Ge$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$ films 

\section{Aknowledgements}
The authors would like to thank Dr  F  Rieutord for grazing incidence x-ray diffraction measurements performed on the GMT station of BM32 beamline at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility 





ground_truth: Spin injection into non magnetic semiconductors, or electrical manipulation of carrier induced magnetism in magnetic semiconductors.