Surface-induced transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect

We predict a magneto-optical Kerr rotation from a magnetized surface in the transverse geometry at normal incidence which is linear in the surface mag netization and is forbidden in the bulk. This surface-induced transverse ma gneto-optical Kerr effect (SITMOKE) is found to vanish at most bulk-termina ted low-index faces of cubic media but is allowed at lower-symmetry planes so that SITMOKE is therefore suitable to study the magnetism of vicinal and reconstructed surfaces. The existence of SITMOKE is demonstrated by detect ion of an analogous strain-induced effect in a magnetic garnet film with a (210) crystallographic orientation. [S0163-1829(99)03605-X].