NOVEL GIANT MAGNETOOPTICAL KERR-EFFECT IN CERIUM COMPOUNDS

The recently discovered novel giant polar magneto-optical Kerr rotatio n of 90 degrees in CeSb is compared to previous record Kerr signals of the order of 10 degrees, and to another newly discovered giant Kerr s ignal of 22 degrees in CeS, An analysis of the temperature and field d ependence of the off-diagonal conductivity spectra of CeSb is presente d which allows an empirical assignment of several structures to electr onic transitions. In particular, a folding of bands due to magnetic su perstructures in a ferrimagnetic phase is shown to account for three a dditional peaks. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.