SWR Studies of Higher-Order Surface Anisotropy Terms in (Ga,Mn)As Thin Films

Abstract

We extend the theory of spin-wave resonance (SWR) by introducing a new formula representing the surface pinning parameter as a series of contributions from different anisotropies existing in (Ga,Mn)As thin films. Comparing our theory with the reported experimental studies of SWR in thin films of the ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As, we find that besides the first-order cubic anisotropy, higher-order cubic anisotropies (in the second and third orders) as well as uniaxial anisotropies (perpendicular in the first and second orders, and in-plane diagonal) occur on the surface of this material. To our best knowledge this is the first report of the existence of higher-order surface anisotropy fields in (Ga,Mn)As thin films.