Surface spin-flop transition in an antiferromagnet

Surface spin-flop transition is investigated for a flat, rough noncompensated surface of a semi-infinite, two-sublattice, collinear antiferromagnet. The influence of size effects arising in the flat antiferromagnetic layer on the spin-flop and spin-flip transitions is considered for smooth and rough surfaces. A principal difference is demonstrated between how the spin-flop transition proceeds in the layer areas with an odd and even number of atomic planes.