title: Apertureless scanning near-field magneto-optical microscopy of magnetic multilayers.
abstract: We imaged magnetic domains in Pt/Co/Pt multilayers using an apertureless scanning near-field optical microscope operating in reflection mode. As the magneto-optical effects are weak for this kind of structure, a polarization modulation technique with a photoelastic modulator was used to reveal the contrast between magnetic domains. In the case of a Pt/Co/Pt trilayer structure, a strong improvement in lateral resolution is observed compared with far-field magneto-optical images and good sensitivity is achieved. In the case of a Pt/[Co/Pt]Pt multilayer structure, stripe domains of 200 nm width could be resolved, in good agreement with images obtained by magnetic force microscopy on the same structure.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Optique Physique de l'E.S.P.C.I., Paris, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aigouy
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grésillon
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lahrech
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Boccara
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rivoal
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mathet
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chappert
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Jamet
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferré