NEW INTENSITY MAGNETOOPTICAL EFFECT IN MATERIALS EXHIBITING GIANT MAGNETORESISTANCE

The change in the reflectivity of a metallic magnetic multilayer that exhibits giant magnetoresistance for a monochromatic electromagnetic p lane wave with polarization along the magnetization (s polarization! i n response to a change from the antiferromagnetic magnetic configurati on of the multilayer to the ferromagnetic configuration is investigate d. This magneto-optical effect is treated in the effective-medium appr oximation, in which the dielectric constant needed is found analytical ly with consideration of the interface roughness scattering of electro ns. It is shown in the example of an Fe/Cu multilayer that the effect amounts to similar to 0.7%. The representation found for the complex c onductivity is convenient in a special case for investigating the magn etoresistive effect. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S1063-77 61(98)02409-3].