Magneto-optical Kerr effect spectroscopy--a sensitive tool for investigating the molecular orientation in organic...

The detection and control of the molecular growth mode is a key prerequisite for fabricating opto-electronic devices. In this work we present the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) spectroscopy to be a highly sensitive method for the detection of the molecular orientation. On the example of metal free phthalocyanine (H(2)Pc) in thin films, it will be shown that also for diamagnetic molecules a strong magneto-optical response can be expected. The growth mode and thus the intensity of the MOKE signal of H2Pc is strongly influenced by a templating effect using ultrathin layers of 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA). From the MOKE spectra in the energy range from 1.5 to 5.0 eV and the optical constants, the Voigt constant of thin organic films was determined. From the strong in-plane/out-of-plane anisotropy of the optical constants and the value of the Voigt constant the average molecular tilt angle of H2Pc molecules with respect to the substrate plane can be obtained.