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

• Published in: Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2020-02, Vol.10 (2), p.256
• Main Authors: Hashim, Hisham, Kozhaev, Mikhail, Kapralov, Pavel, Panina, Larissa, Belotelov, Vladimir, Víšová, Ivana, Chvostová, Dagmar, Dejneka, Alexandr, Shpetnyy, Ihor, Latyshev, Vitalii, Vorobiov, Serhii, Komanický, Vladimír
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ferromagnetic coupling (fmc); magnetic nanostructure multilayers; reflectivity; suppression or enhancement of magneto-optical properties; transverse magneto-optical kerr effect (tmoke)
• ISSN: 2079-4991; 2079-4991
• DOI: 10.3390/nano10020256

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 Ni Fe 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.