Hydrogenation-induced change of magneto optical Kerr effect in Pd/Fe bilayers

Abstract

The hydrogenation induced change of magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) was studied in n ML Pd/30 ML Fe bilayers on Al2O3(0001). With the increasing of Pd thickness from 3 ML to 60 ML, the MOKE extinction angle was gradually shifted by 0.6° and the enhancement of Kerr intensity reached 35%–40% after exposure to 1 atm hydrogen. The reversibility of this significant change was demonstrated by cyclic desorption and reabsorption of hydrogen. This study reveals the sensitive MO response in the combination of a magnetic Fe thin film with a highly hydrogenated Pd capping layer.