Magnetic domain patterns in as-grown and annealed (Ga,Mn)As epilayers with perpendicular easy axis
Résumé
Magnetic properties of ferromagnetic (GaMn)As epilayers grown with tensile strain are investigated using combined experimental techniques including Kerr microscopy, transport measurements, and SQUID magnetometry. We show that post-growth annealing substantially increases the Curie temperature, strengthens the perpendicular anisotropy, weakens the in-plane anisotropy and drastically changes the magnetic domain pattern.