DIFFRACTION HYSTERESIS LOOP MODELIZATION IN TRANSVERSE MAGNETOOPTICALKERR-EFFECT

We theoretically study the diffraction of light by a magneto-optical g rating for the transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect (TMOKE) case whe n the magnetization runs from saturation in one direction to saturatio n in the opposite direction. We use a vectorial theory of diffraction based on a perturbative approximation to the Rayleigh-Fano method, whi ch leads to analytical formulae. We plot diffraction hysteresis loops (DHL) for several diffracted harmonics. We show that far a particular angle of incidence, the loop corresponding to one diffracted harmonic is flat. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.