It is shown that in polar geometry and normal incidence the 2 × 2 matrix technique – as discussed in detail in a preceeding paper [1] – accounts correctly for multiple reflections and optical interferences, and reduces only in the case of a periodic sequence of identical layers to the Fresnel formula of reflectivity, which in turn is the theoretical basis of the two–media approach, widely used ...

Silicon samples sputtered with multiple magnetic layers can be characterized by using x-ray diffraction (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), and magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) techniques. XRD identifies the crystallographic structures and chemical composition of the unknown layers. VSM measures the change in magnetic moment versus applied field, thus giving the information needed to ...

For the first time, we successfully developed exchange anisotropy of PtMn/Ni80Fe20 (1 1 0) bilayers grown on a MgO(1 1 0) substrate with or without Pt buffer layer. The results of angular-dependent magneto-optical Kerr effect indicate that the PtMn/Ni80Fe20(1 1 0) films possess unidirectional anisotropy with coercivity and exchange field around 135Oe and 60Oe, respectively. The Pt buffer layer ...

The magnetic anisotropy of Fe film grown on vicinal Ag(1,1,10) surfaces was studied with the in situ magneto-optic Kerr effect. Below 200 K, strong oscillations of the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy as a function of Fe thickness with a period of 5.7 monolayers are found, which can even cause the easy magnetization axis to oscillate between perpendicular and parallel to the steps. Such novel oscil...

In situ surface magneto-optical Kerr effect was used in conjunction with scanning tunneling microscopy and low-energy electron diffraction to study the in-plane magnetic anisotropy of ultrathin Fe films on a vicinal Mo~110! substrate. A uniaxial anisotropy with the easy axis of magnetization along the @001# direction was found for this system down to nearly 2 monolayers coverage, contradicting ...