MAGNETOOPTICAL SENSITIVITY FUNCTIONS OF THIN-FILM SYSTEMS

The dependence of magneto-optical effects on the magnetization distribution in a magnetic film system can be described by sensitivity functions or information depth profiles [1]. These sensitivity functions were derived from computer experiments based on material laws and Maxwell's equations only. It is found that they can be expressed in the form of simple, closed form multiple-beam interference formulae which are applicable to arbitrary thin-film systems and to arbitrary one-dimensional magnetization distributions. Formulae are presented both for reflection (magneto-optical Kerr effect) and for transmission (Faraday effect). In addition to the conventional first-order effects, the case of magneto-optical amplitudes quadratic in the magnetization components is explored. The usefulness of the discovered closed form expressions is demonstrated in applications relating to domain observation in magnetic multilayer systems and to the optimization of magneto-optical recording systems.