High-resolution fully vectorial scanning Kerr magnetometer

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Physics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Understanding three-dimensional magnetization is crucial for micromagnetic phenomena.
• Characterizing magnetization processes in nanostructures requires advanced techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-resolution scanning magnetometer.
• To fully exploit the vectorial nature of the magneto-optical Kerr effect for 3D magnetization mapping.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a scanning Kerr magnetometer with a high numerical aperture microscope objective.
• Employed deterministic deviation of the incident light beam to detect in-plane and out-of-plane magnetization components.
• Separated magnetization components by exploiting the symmetries of the polar and longitudinal Kerr effects.
• Acquired three orthogonal magnetization components from four consecutive measurements.

Main Results:

• Achieved a spatial resolution of 600 nm for 3D magnetization vector mapping.
• Demonstrated the apparatus performance by mapping out-of-plane domains and in-plane domain walls in yttrium-iron-garnet films.
• Studied magnetization reversal processes in a 4-μm-wide magnetic disk.

Conclusions:

• The developed scanning magnetometer enables comprehensive characterization of magnetization processes in nanostructures.
• The technique allows for detailed analysis of both static and dynamic magnetization regimes.
• This advancement provides a powerful tool for investigating complex micromagnetic phenomena.