MAGNETIC-ANISOTROPY AND MAGNETIZATION REVERSAL IN FE FILMS GROWN ON GAAS (001) AND (110)

We present the results of a systematic study of the evolution of magne tic anisotropies of epitaxial Fe films grown on GaAs (001) and (110) s ubstrates and also on epitaxial Ag buffer layers. The anisotropy was s tudied in-situ with the magneto-optic Ken effect (MOKE). This provides a qualitative thickness dependence of the in-plane magnetic anisotrop y for single films on the same substrate surface, thus avoiding any un certainties due to different substrate morphologies. These in-situ stu dies are complemented by ex-sih MOKE, Brillouin Light Scattering (BLS) , and Lorentz microscopy measurements which reveal the relation betwee n the magnetization reversal processes and magnetic anisotropy behavio ur on a macroscopic and microscopic scale.