High resolution polar Kerr magnetometer for nanomagnetism and nanospintronics.
A new high resolution polar magneto-optical (MO) Kerr magnetometer, devoted to the study of nanometer sized elements with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, is described. The unique performances of this setup in terms of sensitivity (1.2x10(-15) emu), stability (lateral drift +/-35 nm over 3 h), and resolution (laser spot full width at half maximum down to 470 nm) are demonstrated, and illustrated by Kerr hysteresis loop measurements on a unique ultrathin magnetic nanodot, and over small segments of ultranarrow magnetic tracks. Large scanning MO Kerr microscopy images were also obtained with the same performances.
Cormier
M
M
Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS, UMR 8502, F-91405 Orsay Cedex, France. cormier@lps.u-psud.fr
Ferré
J
J
Mougin
A
A
Cromières
J-P
JP
Klein
V
V