The anisotropic linear and quadratic magneto-optical Kerr effects in epitaxial Fe/GaAs(110) film

We investigated the magneto-optical Kerr effects in C2v symmetric Fe/GaAs(110) film and quantitatively separated the linear and quadratic Kerr contributions with the rotating field method. The linear Kerr effect was experimentally found to have twofold anisotropy with crystal orientation, in well agreement with the theoretical prediction. In addition, the quadratic Kerr effects exhibit both twofold and fourfold anisotropy. The calculation based on a 4 × 4 transfer matrix method indicates that the anisotropies of the linear and quadratic Kerr effects both originate from the second order magneto-optical coupling. The C2v symmetric film with anisotropic linear Kerr effect may have a potential application on the future precise magneto-optical sensors.