  Magnetic and magneto-transport properties of thin layers of the
(Ga,Mn)(Bi,As) quaternary dilute magnetic semiconductor grown by the
low-temperature molecular-beam epitaxy technique on GaAs substrates have been
investigated. Ferromagnetic Curie temperature and magneto-crystalline
anisotropy of the layers have been examined by using magneto-optical Kerr
effect magnetometry and low-temperature magneto-transport measurements.
Postgrowth annealing treatment has been shown to enhance the hole concentration
and Curie temperature in the layers. Significant increase in the magnitude of
magnetotransport effects caused by incorporation of a small amount of Bi into
the (Ga,Mn)As layers revealed in the planar Hall effect (PHE) measurements, is
interpreted as a result of enhanced spin-orbit coupling in the (Ga,Mn)(Bi,As)
layers. Two-state behaviour of the planar Hall resistance at zero magnetic
field provides its usefulness for applications in nonvolatile memory devices.
