NONLINEAR AND LINEAR KERR STUDIES OF CO CU MULTILAYERS/

Magnetization induced optical second harmonic generation (MSHG) in com bination with the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) was used to study thin Co films and Cu/Co multilayers of thicknesses between 1 and 20 m onolayers (ML) grown on a Cu(001) substrate. From the different depend ence of MSHG and MOKE on Co film thickness we get direct information a bout the interface sensitivity of MSHG. Modifying the vacuum/Co interf ace by gas adsorption yields the relative contributions of the vacuum/ Co and the Co/Cu(001)-substrate interfaces. Both MSHG and MOKE data ca n be accurately described by a multiple reflection model.