Selective sensitivity of ellipsometry to magnetic nanostructures

• Published in: Thin solid films Vol. 519; no. 9; pp. 2627 - 2632
• Main Authors: Postava, K., Hrabovský, D., Hamrlová, J., Pištora, J., Wawro, A., Baczewski, L.T., Sveklo, I., Maziewski, A.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 28-02-2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Ellipsometry; Exact sciences and technology; Ferromagnetic materials; Generalized ellipsometry; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; Kerr effects; Magnetic nanostructures; Magnetic properties and materials; Magnetic properties of monolayers and thin films; Magnetic properties of surface, thin films and multilayers; Magneto-optical ellipsometry; Material sensitivity; Materials science; Mathematical analysis; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Molecular, atomic, ion, and chemical beam epitaxy; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Nanostructure; Optical instruments, equipment and techniques; Other topics in nanoscale materials and structures; Physics; Polarimeters and ellipsometers; Vectors (mathematics); Material sensitivity; Magneto-optical ellipsometry; Magnetic nanostructures; Generalized ellipsometry; Buffer layer; Magnetization; Theoretical study; Ferromagnetic materials; Selectivity; Nanostructures; Molybdenum; Ellipsometry; Thin films; Multilayers; Reviews; Self organization; Magnetometry; Molecular beam epitaxy; Modelling; Figure of merit
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2010.11.073

Magneto-optic (MO) ellipsometry of ferromagnetic materials is extremely sensitive to ultra-thin films, multilayers, and nanostructures. It gives a possibility to measure all components of the magnetization vector in the frame of the magneto-optic vector magnetometry and enables us to separate magnetic contributions from different depths and materials in nanostructures, which is reviewed in this article. The method is based on ellipsometric separation using the selective MO Kerr effect. The figure of merit used to quantify the ellipsometric selectivity to magnetic nanostructures is defined on the basis of linear matrix algebra. We show that the method can be also used to separate MO contributions from areas of the same ferromagnetic materials deposited on different buffer layers. The method is demonstrated using both: (i) modeling of the MO ellipsometry response and (ii) MO measurement of ultra-thin Co islands epitaxially grown on self-organized gold islands on Mo/Al2O3 buffer layer prepared using the molecular beam epitaxy at elevated temperatures. The system is studied using longitudinal (in-plane) and polar (perpendicular) MO Kerr effects.