Near-field magneto-optical analysis in reflection mode SNOM

Observation of magnetic domains with in-plane magnetisations is demonstrated by scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) in reflection mode. The longitudinal and transverse magneto-optical Kerr effects are employed as the contrast mechanisms; these are observed as either a change in the polarisation of the reflected light or reflectance, depending on magnetisation direction. SNOM images of Co and Ni thin films show magneto-optical contrast depending on polarisation of the incident and detected light. For the smooth cobalt thin films, the orientation for magnetic domains is estimated, based on the correlation between the contrasts in SNOM images obtained in different polarisation configurations and the directions of the magnetic vectors of the incident and reflected light. For the nickel films with pronounced topographic structures, the resulting near-field polarisation dependencies are more complicated, suggesting that the magneto-optical contrast in SNOM images are affected by the topographic cross-talk due to the depolarisation effects on surface topographic features.     

SPR谱仪的研制及在磁光复合薄膜测试中的应用

针对SPR增强磁光效应研究中复合金属薄膜结构的SPR激发测试,研制了一套角度扫描型SPR谱仪。通过巧妙的结构设计和运动控制,使得角度扫描过程中样品测试点始终处于棱镜底面样品基片的中心,保证了测试过程的一致性。对50nm金膜的重复性测验表明SPR谱仪具有较高的重复性和稳定度。利用搭建的SPR谱仪对磁光复合薄膜的测试结果表明,在制备的样品中,Au(15nm)/Co(5/10nm)/Au(5nm)复合结构是磁光等离子体系研究的最佳平台。     

Apertureless scanning near-field magneto-optical microscopy of magnetic multilayers

We imaged magnetic domains in Pt/Co/Pt multilayers using an apertureless scanning near-field optical microscope operating in reflection mode. As the magneto-optical effects are weak for this kind of structure, a polarization modulation technique with a photoelastic modulator was used to reveal the contrast between magnetic domains. In the case of a Pt/Co/Pt trilayer structure, a strong improvement in lateral resolution is observed compared with far-field magneto-optical images and good sensitivity is achieved. In the case of a Pt/[Co/Pt]Pt multilayer structure, stripe domains of 200 nm width could be resolved, in good agreement with images obtained by magnetic force microscopy on the same structure.     

LED magneto-optical ellipsometer with the switching of orthogonal polarization states

A light-emitting diode (LED) magneto-optical ellipsometer with the switching of orthogonal polarization states is described. The distinctive features of the ellipsometer are the implementation of the maximally deep azimuthal modulation, application of two-channel detector, use of a set of LEDs ensuring a high signal-to-noise ratio, and the absence of moving polarization elements. These features have substantially increased the precision of measurements of ellipsometric parameters ψ and Δ for ferromagnetic materials and their changes (δψ and δΔ) in the magnetic field, which are connected for the transverse Kerr configuration by simple relations with magneto-optical parameters. At wavelengths of 365, 372, 390, 405, 420, and 465 nm, the precision of ψ-δψ and Δ-δΔ measurements of metal films is about 0.0003° and 0.001°, respectively. The spectral resolution is 4 nm; the minimal measurement time of ψ and Δ in the continuous spectral range of 270–1000 nm is 20 s; the magnetic field is varied from–2500 to +2500 Oe; and the step of the magnetic field setting is 0.5 Oe.     

Apertureless scanning near-field magneto-optical microscopy of magnetic multilayers

We imaged magnetic domains in Pt/Co/Pt multilayers using an apertureless scanning near-field optical microscope operating in reflection mode. As the magneto-optical effects are weak for this kind of structure, a polarization modulation technique with a photoelastic modulator was used to reveal the contrast between magnetic domains. In the case of a Pt/Co/Pt trilayer structure, a strong improvement in lateral resolution is observed compared with far-field magneto-optical images and good sensitivity is achieved. In the case of a Pt/[Co/Pt]Pt multilayer structure, stripe domains of 200 nm width could be resolved, in good agreement with images obtained by magnetic force microscopy on the same structure.     

New polarized light microscope with precision universal compensator

A new type of polarized light microscope (‘new pol-scope’) for fast and orientation-independent measurement of birefringent fine structure has been developed. The design of the new pol-scope incorporates a precision universal compensator made from two liquid crystal variable retarders. A video camera and digital image processing system provide fast measurements of specimen anisotropy (retardance magnitude and azimuth) at all points of the image forming the field of view. The images document fine structural and molecular organization within a thin optical section of the specimen. The sensitivity of the current instrument is 0·1 nm of specimen retardance, measured with data gathered in 0·43 s at all 640 × 480 image points. Examples of birefringence measurements in biological (microtubule arrays) and industrial (magneto-optical disc substrate) specimens are presented.     

Magneto-optical system for high speed real time imaging

A new magneto-optical system has been developed to expand the range of high speed real time magneto-optical imaging. A special source for the external magnetic field has also been designed, using a pump solenoid to rapidly excite the field coil. Together with careful modifications of the cryostat, to reduce eddy currents, ramping rates reaching 3000 T∕s have been achieved. Using a powerful laser as the light source, a custom designed optical assembly, and a high speed digital camera, real time imaging rates up to 30 000 frames per seconds have been demonstrated.     

Application of a NDI method using magneto-optical film for micro-cracks

Leakage magnetic flux is occurred in the cracked area of magnetized specimens, and also it changes the magnetic domain area of the magneto-optical film positioned on the specimen. It causes the change of the optical permeability of the magnetic domain on the crack area. So crack images can be obtained easily using this principle. On the other hand, utilizing a laser in this method makes possible to perform a remote sensing by detecting the light intensity contrast between cracked area and normal area. This paper shows the application of non-destructive inspection system taking advantage of magneto-optical method for micro-cracks and presents examples applied to the several types of specimens having fatigue cracks and fabricated cracks using this method. Also the authors prove the possibility of this method as a remote sensing system under the oscillation load considering application to real fields.     

High resolution polar Kerr magnetometer for nanomagnetism and nanospintronics

A new high resolution polar magneto-optical (MO) Kerr magnetometer, devoted to the study of nanometer sized elements with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, is described. The unique performances of this setup in terms of sensitivity (1.2x10(-15) emu), stability (lateral drift +/-35 nm over 3 h), and resolution (laser spot full width at half maximum down to 470 nm) are demonstrated, and illustrated by Kerr hysteresis loop measurements on a unique ultrathin magnetic nanodot, and over small segments of ultranarrow magnetic tracks. Large scanning MO Kerr microscopy images were also obtained with the same performances.     

A magneto-optical setup for studying the time evolution of nanoscale domain-wall displacements under pulsed magnetization

A magneto-optical setup for studying the time evolution of nanoscale domain-wall displacements of domain walls in magnetic films with a regular domain structure is described. Methods for spatial filtering of the output optical flux using the Fourier image of the domain structure and the impulse transient response in the real-time mode are applied in the setup. This allowed an increase in the sensitivity to domain-wall displacements of up to 5 nm and registration of their evolution with a temporal resolution of 1 ns.     

基于光纤的磁光克尔回线测试仪研究

快速准确地测量磁光材料的磁光克尔特性是磁光型记录材料研究的关键之一。提出了一种基于保偏光纤传输偏振光并进行小角度磁光克尔旋转角测量的方法 ,通过信号处理过程中的实时除法运算 ,有效地解决了光源光强不稳定性对测量结果的影响 ,具有光路调节快速方便 ,测试稳定可靠 ,可以在线自动测试的特点。     

Vector-magneto-optical generalized ellipsometry

We present the setup of a variable-angle vector-magneto-optical generalized ellipsometer (VMOGE) in the spectral range from 300 to 1100 nm using an octupole magnet, and demonstrate VMOGE measurements of the upper 3 × 4 submatrix of the Mueller matrix in a magnetic field of arbitrary orientation and magnitude up to 0.4 T at room temperature. New "field orbit" measurements can be performed without physically moving the sample, which is useful to study magnetic multilayer or nanostructure samples. A 4 × 4 matrix formalism is employed to model the experimental VMOGE data. Searching the best match model between experimental and calculated VMOGE data, the magneto-optical dielectric tensor ?(MO) of each layer in a multilayer sample system can be determined. In this work, we assume that the nonsymmetric terms of ?(MO) are induced by an external magnetic field and depend linearly on the sample magnetization. Comparison with vector magnetometer measurements can provide the anisotropic magneto-optical coupling constants Q(x), Q(y), Q(z).     

磁光玻璃专用高温炉设计

磁光玻璃专用高温炉是一种新型实验室高温炉,分为上下两部分,上部熔化搅拌,自动浇注,下部退火,整个过程处于高温环境,且相对隔绝了空气污染,提高了磁光玻璃熔化成型的质量,有效消除磁光玻璃中的气泡,条纹等缺陷,有利于提高磁光玻璃的Verdet常数和增大磁光玻璃的尺寸。     

基于锁相技术和磁光调制的旋光角度检测

根据法拉第磁光效应和锁相基本原理,研究了经磁光调制后的偏振光通过旋光物质后的偏转情况,分析了透射光信号中的与调制频率相同的基频信号和二倍于调制频率的倍频信号。通过对基频幅值和倍频幅值进行比较,提出了一种测量旋光角度的计算方法,根据旋光角和磁偏角两者之间的关系,提出了一种用标准石英管来标定法拉第磁光效应中磁偏角大小的方法,并对其进行了实验研究,证明了这种测量方法的可行性。     

Polarization properties of bent-type optical fibre probe for magneto-optical imaging

Quantitative evaluation of magneto-optical parameters is necessary in order to apply scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) technology to the study of magnetism on the mesoscopic scale. For this purpose, quantitative knowledge of polarization transmission properties through an optical fibre probe is required. We therefore determined the Stokes parameters of the bent-type optical fibre probe that is used as a cantilever for atomic force microscope operation in our SNOM system. As a result, it is found that the degree of polarization is maintained in the light emitted from the probe, although the probe acts as if it were a wave plate. This anisotropic polarization state of the light emitted from the probe was compensated for by using a Berek compensator placed in front of the fibre coupler.     

Polarization properties of bent-type optical fibre probe for magneto-optical imaging

Quantitative evaluation of magneto-optical parameters is necessary in order to apply scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) technology to the study of magnetism on the mesoscopic scale. For this purpose, quantitative knowledge of polarization transmission properties through an optical fibre probe is required. We therefore determined the Stokes parameters of the bent-type optical fibre probe that is used as a cantilever for atomic force microscope operation in our SNOM system. As a result, it is found that the degree of polarization is maintained in the light emitted from the probe, although the probe acts as if it were a wave plate. This anisotropic polarization state of the light emitted from the probe was compensated for by using a Berek compensator placed in front of the fibre coupler.     

新型旋光仪测量原理的研究

在对传统旋光仪旋光度测量原理分析的基础上提出了一种新的测量原理。利用该测量原理可以省略传统旋光仪中的机械部分。该原理充分运用光电检测技术和法拉第磁光效应,利用光电池检测经过法拉第线圈和待测溶液后的线偏振光,并将此信号与驱动法拉第线圈信号的相位进行比较,从而实现对旋光物质旋光度的测量。通过旋转起偏器实验模拟了该方法的可行性。     

焊接缺陷磁光成像动态检测与识别

为了实现焊接缺陷的自动检测,研究一种交变磁场激励下焊缝表面及亚表面缺陷的磁光成像动态无损检测方法。分析了基于法拉第磁致旋光效应的焊接缺陷磁光成像机理,并结合交变磁场原理推导出励磁变化与动态磁光成像的关系。探索低碳钢板的亚表面焊缝磁光成像特征试验,验证了所提方法可用于检测焊缝亚表面的未熔合缺陷。最后对高强钢焊缝特征的动态磁光图像进行分析,采用主成分分析法和支持向量机(PCA-SVM)模式识别方法建立了焊接缺陷分类模型。试验结果表明,所提方法可以识别高强钢焊件中的焊缝特征(未熔透、裂纹、凹坑和无缺陷),缺陷分类模型的整体识别率达到92.6%,能够实现焊缝表面及亚表面缺陷的自动检测。     

基于平板电脑和STM32的多波长自动旋光仪软件设计

旋光度是反映物质旋光性质的指标,通过测定旋光度,可分析物质的浓度、含量、纯度等。SGW-5多波长自动旋光仪利用平面偏振光和法拉弟磁光效应测量旋光物质在特定检测波长和温度下的旋光度。为了满足SGW-5的功能需要,采用了带WINCE嵌入式系统的平板电脑和STM32单片机相结合的硬件系统,并对该系统进行软件设计。该软件设计在几个方面有一定特点,达到了仪器的性能指标要求。     

Scanning magneto-optical Kerr microscope with auto-balanced detection scheme

We have developed a scanning magneto-optical Kerr microscope dedicated to localization and measurement of the in-plane magnetization of ultra-thin layered magnetic nanostructures with high sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio. The novel light detection scheme is based on a differential photodetector with automatic common mode noise rejection system with a high noise suppression up to 50 dB. The sensitivity of the developed detection scheme was tested by measurement of a single Co layer and a giant magnetoresistance (GMR) multilayer stack. The spatial resolution of the Kerr microscope was demonstrated by mapping an isolated 5×5 μm spin-valve pillar.