The polar magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) for low-symmetric ferromagnetic crystals is investigated theoretically based on first-principle calculations of optical conductivities and a transfer matrix approach for the electrodynamics part of the problem. Exact average magneto-optical properties of polycrystals are described, taking into account realistic models for the distribution of domain orientations. It is shown that for low-symmetric ferromagnetic single crystals the MOKE is determined by an interplay of crystallographic birefringence and magnetic effects. Calculations for single and bi-crystal of hcp 11-20 Co and for a polycrystal of CrO_2 are performed, with results being in good agreement with experimental data.
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0505614,
title = {Polar magneto-optical Kerr effect for low-symmetric ferromagnets},
author = {Helmut Rathgen and Mikhail I. Katsnelson and Olle Eriksson and Gertrud Zwicknagl},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0505614},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
14 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. B