Time resolved pump-probe scattering in MnAs/GaAs(001): A look into the dynamics of (alfa)-(beta) stripe domains

Scattering of 130 nm radiation with 100 fs pulse length was used to monitor the a/b-striped microstructure in MnAs/GaAs(001), after a 390nm 5mJcm^-2 pump pulse. A strong reduction of the Bragg peak intensity, corresponding to a widening of the b-stripes, takes place with a characteristic time of 15 ps. These results are relevant within the context of using MnAs/GaAs(001) as a template for the growth of ferromagnetic films, whose magnetization direction can be controlled by modifying the template temperature