Anisotropic Polar Magneto-Optic Kerr Effect of Ultrathin Fe/GaAs (001) Layers due to Interfacial Spin-Orbit Interaction

M. Buchner; P. Högl; S. Putz; M. Gmitra; S. Günther; M. A.W. Schoen; M. Kronseder; D. Schuh; D. Bougeard; J. Fabian; C. H. Back

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.157202

Anisotropic Polar Magneto-Optic Kerr Effect of Ultrathin Fe/GaAs (001) Layers due to Interfacial Spin-Orbit Interaction

M. Buchner
, P. Högl
, S. Putz
, M. Gmitra
, S. Günther
, M. A.W. Schoen
, M. Kronseder
, D. Schuh
, D. Bougeard
, J. Fabian
, C. H. Back

University of Regensburg
ETH Zürich

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report the observation of the anisotropic polar magneto-optical Kerr effect in thin layers of epitaxial Fe/GaAs(001) at room temperature. A clear twofold symmetry of the Kerr rotation angle depending on the orientation of the linear polarization of the probing laser beam with respect to the crystallographic directions of the sample is detected for ultrathin magnetic films saturated out of the film plane. The amplitude of the anisotropy decreases with increasing Fe film thickness, suggesting that the interfacial region is the origin of the anisotropy. The twofold symmetry is fully reproduced by model calculations based on an interference of interfacial Bychkov-Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling.

Original language	English
Article number	157202
Journal	Physical Review Letters
Volume	117
Issue number	15
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.157202
State	Published - 6 Oct 2016
Externally published	Yes

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title = "Anisotropic Polar Magneto-Optic Kerr Effect of Ultrathin Fe/GaAs (001) Layers due to Interfacial Spin-Orbit Interaction",

abstract = "We report the observation of the anisotropic polar magneto-optical Kerr effect in thin layers of epitaxial Fe/GaAs(001) at room temperature. A clear twofold symmetry of the Kerr rotation angle depending on the orientation of the linear polarization of the probing laser beam with respect to the crystallographic directions of the sample is detected for ultrathin magnetic films saturated out of the film plane. The amplitude of the anisotropy decreases with increasing Fe film thickness, suggesting that the interfacial region is the origin of the anisotropy. The twofold symmetry is fully reproduced by model calculations based on an interference of interfacial Bychkov-Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling.",

author = "M. Buchner and P. H{\"o}gl and S. Putz and M. Gmitra and S. G{\"u}nther and Schoen, \{M. A.W.\} and M. Kronseder and D. Schuh and D. Bougeard and J. Fabian and Back, \{C. H.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 American Physical Society.",

year = "2016",

month = oct,

day = "6",

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.157202",

language = "English",

volume = "117",

journal = "Physical Review Letters",

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T1 - Anisotropic Polar Magneto-Optic Kerr Effect of Ultrathin Fe/GaAs (001) Layers due to Interfacial Spin-Orbit Interaction

AU - Buchner, M.

AU - Högl, P.

AU - Putz, S.

AU - Gmitra, M.

AU - Günther, S.

AU - Schoen, M. A.W.

AU - Kronseder, M.

AU - Schuh, D.

AU - Bougeard, D.

AU - Fabian, J.

AU - Back, C. H.

PY - 2016/10/6

Y1 - 2016/10/6

N2 - We report the observation of the anisotropic polar magneto-optical Kerr effect in thin layers of epitaxial Fe/GaAs(001) at room temperature. A clear twofold symmetry of the Kerr rotation angle depending on the orientation of the linear polarization of the probing laser beam with respect to the crystallographic directions of the sample is detected for ultrathin magnetic films saturated out of the film plane. The amplitude of the anisotropy decreases with increasing Fe film thickness, suggesting that the interfacial region is the origin of the anisotropy. The twofold symmetry is fully reproduced by model calculations based on an interference of interfacial Bychkov-Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling.

AB - We report the observation of the anisotropic polar magneto-optical Kerr effect in thin layers of epitaxial Fe/GaAs(001) at room temperature. A clear twofold symmetry of the Kerr rotation angle depending on the orientation of the linear polarization of the probing laser beam with respect to the crystallographic directions of the sample is detected for ultrathin magnetic films saturated out of the film plane. The amplitude of the anisotropy decreases with increasing Fe film thickness, suggesting that the interfacial region is the origin of the anisotropy. The twofold symmetry is fully reproduced by model calculations based on an interference of interfacial Bychkov-Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84992116332

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.157202

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.157202

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84992116332

SN - 0031-9007

VL - 117

JO - Physical Review Letters

JF - Physical Review Letters

IS - 15

M1 - 157202

ER -

Anisotropic Polar Magneto-Optic Kerr Effect of Ultrathin Fe/GaAs (001) Layers due to Interfacial Spin-Orbit Interaction

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