<title>Faraday rotation enhancement in the short-wavelength spectral region in multilayered Co/SiO<formula><inf><roman>2</roman></inf></formula> films</title>

Abstract

Strong changes vre observed in the Faraday rotation (FR) spectra of multilayered Co/SiO films in comj,arison with homogeneous Co films: whereas the FR in homogeneous Co films decreased monotonically as the lIght wave length decreased, FR in multilayered films increased with the ? decreasing. The rate of the FR increase with respect to the change in 2 was progressively greater the thicker the SiO layers and greater the number of layers.One of the most important task of the modern magnetooptics is the creation of materials with high magnetooptical effects in the short wave length spectral region. The resonance enhancement of Faraday rotation (FR) in composite materials consisting of the magnetic metal particles or layers embedded in a dielectric host predicted theoretically (for example [1]) seems to be one of the ys to solve this problem. This resonance is due to surface plasmons in metal particles and its parameters depend on the volume filling factor of the magnetic constituents and on the relation between optical parameters of the dielectric host and magnetic particles or layers. Since optical parameters of extremely thin layers can change considerably in comparison with bulk metals of thick homogeneous films, the experimental investigation is necessary to make clear the real possibility of FR enhancement in the short wave length region in the composite materials discussed. To begin with have chosen multilayered films consisting of alternating layers of the classic magnetic metal Co and one of the most transparent in the short wave length region dielectrics SiO.Here we present the results of the investigation of FR, optical absorption and magnetooptical figure of merit of Co/SiO. multilayers in dependence on Co and SiO layers thickness and on the number of layers.