Controlling the Transverse Magneto-Optical Kerr Effect in Cr/NiFe Bilayer Thin Films by Changing the Thicknesses of the Cr Layer

• Main Authors: Hisham Hashim, Mikhail Kozhaev, Pavel Kapralov, Larissa Panina, Vladimir Belotelov, Ivana Víšová, Dagmar Chvostová, Alexandr Dejneka, Ihor Shpetnyi, Vitalii Latyshev, Serhii Vorobiov, Vladimír Komanický
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-02-01
• Series: Nanomaterials
• Subjects: transverse magneto-optical kerr effect (tmoke); ferromagnetic coupling (fmc); suppression or enhancement of magneto-optical properties; magnetic nanostructure multilayers; reflectivity
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/10/2/256

Here, we demonstrate the impact of ferromagnetic layer coating on controlling the magneto-optical response. We found that the transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect (TMOKE) signal and TMOKE hysteresis loops of Ni₈₀Fe₂₀ thin layers coated with a Cr layer show a strong dependence on the thickness of the Cr layer and the incidence angle of the light. The transmission and reflection spectra were measured over a range of incidence angles and with different wavelengths so as to determine the layers’ optical parameters and to explain the TMOKE behavior. The generalized magneto-optical and ellipsometry (GMOE) model based on modified Abeles characteristic matrices was used to examine the agreement between the experimental and theoretical results. A comprehensive theoretical and experimental analysis reveals the possibility to create a TMOKE suppression/enhancement coating at specific controllable incidence angles. This has potential for applications in optical microscopy and sensors.