MAGNETOOPTIC PROPERTIES OF A THIN TBFE2 FILM STUDIED BY HIGH MAGNETIC-FIELD KERR-EFFECT

The study of magnetic properties of thin layers of rare-earth and tran sition-metal intermetallic compounds requires measurement of weak magn etisation intensities under high magnetic fields. The magneto-optic Ke rr effect (MOKE) can be an alternate method to investigate the magneti c properties of thin metallic layers. A recently developed experimenta l set-up devoted to MOKE under high magnetic field is described. We pr esent the results of magneto-optic Kerr rotation of a 5 nm thick singl e-crystal TbFe2 epitaxial layer up to 30 T. The absence of saturation might be attributed to a strong in-plane anisotropy arising from the e pitaxial growth. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.