Abstract
The magnetic anisotropy of thin Fe films on (001)-oriented GaAs has been investigated using the fully relativistic TB-KKR method of band structure calculation. In line with experimental findings an in-plane anisotropy has been found with the easy axis pointing along the [110]-direction. The theoretical results for the anisotropy energy ΔE are reproduced in a semi-quantitative way by the models of Bruno and van der Laan, respectively, which relate ΔE to the anisotropy of the spin-orbit–induced orbital magnetic moment.
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