Magnetorefractive effect and giant magnetoresistance in Fe(tx)/Cr superlattices

The magnetorefractive effect in Fe(tx, Å)/Cr(10 Å) samples grown by molecular-beam epitaxy with a variable thickness of the iron layer (superlattices, cluster-layered nanostructures) has been studied in the IR region (λ = 2–13 µm) in s and p polarizations of light. The magnetoresistive effect in a dc magnetic field, H ≤ 32 kOe, has been measured on the same samples. The iron layer thickness required for the magnetorefractive response to appear has been found to be tFe ≥ 3 Å. The correlation between the magnitude of the magnetorefractive effect in the mid-IR region and magnetoresistance has been discussed.