Peculiar magneto-optical and magnetic properties of Au-Fe alloy films and Au/Fe multilayered films

In this study, peculiar magneto-optical (MO) and magnetic properties of Fe-Au alloy films and Au/Fe multilayered films (MLF) were investigated. It was elucidated that alloy-like regions are spontaneously formed near the interfaces between Au and Fe sublayers during the Au/Fe MLF fabrication. The measured magnetic-circular-dichroism characteristics reveal that the orbital magnetic moment of the constituent Fe atoms in the bee Fe-Au alloy film is about twice larger than that of pure Fe. This implies a hybridization between Fe and Au atoms. It is thought that a prominent feature observed in the UV range of the MO response of Au/Fe MLF results not from the quantum confinement, but probably from an enhanced magnetic moment of Fe (and/or an induced magnetic moment of Au).