Analysing surface structures on (Ga,Mn)As by Atomic Force Microscopy

Using atomic force microscopy, we have studied the surface structures of high quality molecular beam epitaxy grown (Ga,Mn)As compound. Several samples with different thickness and Mn concentration, as well as a few (Ga,Mn)(As,P) samples have been investigated. All these samples have shown the presence of periodic ripples aligned along the $[1\bar{1}0]$ direction. From a detailed Fourier analysis we have estimated the period (~50 nm) and the amplitude of these structures.