Thickness dependence of interfacial magneto-optic effects

Authors

Xiang Gao, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Michael J. DeVries, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Daniel W. Thompson, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
John A. Woollam, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

6-1-1998

Comments

Published in J. Appl. Phys., Vol. 83, No. 11, 1 June 1998. © 1998 American Institute of Physics. Used by permission.

Abstract

Spectroscopic ellipsometry and magneto-optic Kerr effects are measured on Pt/Co multilayers with a series of Co layer thicknesses from 0.08 to 1 nm. An electromagnetic theory of multilayered structures allows regression analysis fits between acquired data and parameter dependent model analysis. Recently, we determined the single layer Co magneto-optic Voigt parameter and found that it depends on Co layer thickness. In the present work, we report an in-depth study of interfacial magneto-optic effects for a large number of Pt/Co multilayer samples. Kerr rotation and ellipticity were measured over the spectral range from 200 to 1700 nm. Voigt parameters of the magnetic layers for these Pt/Co multilayer samples with different thicknesses were compared, and the Pt–Co interface thicknesses were determined in terms of the material dielectric tensor.