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Surface Enhanced Magneto-Optics in Noble Metal / Ferromagnetic Metal Multilayers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

V. I. Safarov
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France
V. A. Kosobukin
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France
C. Hermann
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France
G. Lampel
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France
J. Peretti
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France
C. MarliÉre
Affiliation:
Institut d'Optique Théorique et Appliquée, Centre Universitaire, Bât. 503, 91403 Orsay Cedex, France
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Abstract

We present an electromagnetic enhancement mechanism for the magneto-optical response of noble metal / ferromagnetic metal multilayer thin films. When such a structure is illuminated in total reflection condition, the resonant coupling of light with the noble metal surface plasmons gives rise to an amplification of the magneto-optically induced component of the light electric field. The experimental results obtained on a 30nm-thick Au / Co / Au model system show that this resonant feature observed in the Kerr rotation and ellipticity corresponds to a strong enhancement of the magneto-optical figure of merit and signal-to-noise ratio.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1995

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References

REFERENCES

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