---
_id: '6980'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: The magneto-optic Kerr effect (MOKE) is often applied as a tool for the magnetic
    characterization of thin films. Here, the change in polarization upon reflection
    from the magnetized sample is mainly regarded as being linearly proportional to
    the magnetization M (LinMOKE). Recently, we reported on third-order MOKE contributions,
    named cubic MOKE (CMOKE) being ∝ M3 in Ni(111) thin films. This CMOKE manifests
    itself as an anisotropic contribution to the MOKE signal (with regard to the crystallographic
    orientation) measured in longitudinal or transversal configuration in full magnetic
    saturation. While LinMOKE (odd in M) and quadratic MOKE (QMOKE) being ∝M2 (even
    in M) can easily be separated by methods based on magnetization parity, this no
    longer holds true for LinMOKE and CMOKE (odd in M). Here, we report on the observation
    of CMOKE in thin-film heterostructures with structurally twinned and untwinned
    Co(111) layers, demonstrating that a large CMOKE is not only present in Ni thin
    films. Additionally, we show that the observed anisotropic contributions cannot
    stem from LinMOKE by analyzing their dependence on the angle of incidence (AoI)
    of light. While the QMOKE is almost vanishing in Co(111) using light with wavelengths
    of 635 and 406 nm, the CMOKE contributions reach up to about 30% of the LinMOKE
    contribution at an AoI of 45 degrees and become even more dominant toward normal
    AoI, which emphasizes the importance of higher-order MOKE effects in magneto-optic
    experiments.
article_number: '221106'
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: M.
  full_name: Gaerner, M.
  last_name: Gaerner
- first_name: R.
  full_name: Silber, R.
  last_name: Silber
- first_name: M.
  full_name: Schäffer, M.
  last_name: Schäffer
- first_name: J.
  full_name: Hamrle, J.
  last_name: Hamrle
- first_name: Andrea
  full_name: Ehrmann, Andrea
  id: '223776'
  last_name: Ehrmann
  orcid: 0000-0003-0695-3905
  orcid_put_code_url: https://api.orcid.org/v2.0/0000-0003-0695-3905/work/216524852
- first_name: M.
  full_name: Wortmann, M.
  last_name: Wortmann
- first_name: T.
  full_name: Kuschel, T.
  last_name: Kuschel
citation:
  alphadin: '<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Gaerner, M.</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Silber,
    R.</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Schäffer, M.</span> ; <span
    style="font-variant:small-caps;">Hamrle, J.</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Ehrmann,
    Andrea</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Wortmann, M.</span> ; <span
    style="font-variant:small-caps;">Kuschel, T.</span>: Cubic magneto-optic Kerr
    effect in Co(111) thin films. In: <i>Applied Physics Letters</i> Bd. 128, AIP
    Publishing (2026), Nr. 22'
  ama: Gaerner M, Silber R, Schäffer M, et al. Cubic magneto-optic Kerr effect in
    Co(111) thin films. <i>Applied Physics Letters</i>. 2026;128(22). doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0332728">10.1063/5.0332728</a>
  apa: Gaerner, M., Silber, R., Schäffer, M., Hamrle, J., Ehrmann, A., Wortmann, M.,
    &#38; Kuschel, T. (2026). Cubic magneto-optic Kerr effect in Co(111) thin films.
    <i>Applied Physics Letters</i>, <i>128</i>(22). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0332728">https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0332728</a>
  bibtex: '@article{Gaerner_Silber_Schäffer_Hamrle_Ehrmann_Wortmann_Kuschel_2026,
    title={Cubic magneto-optic Kerr effect in Co(111) thin films}, volume={128}, DOI={<a
    href="https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0332728">10.1063/5.0332728</a>}, number={22221106},
    journal={Applied Physics Letters}, publisher={AIP Publishing}, author={Gaerner,
    M. and Silber, R. and Schäffer, M. and Hamrle, J. and Ehrmann, Andrea and Wortmann,
    M. and Kuschel, T.}, year={2026} }'
  chicago: Gaerner, M., R. Silber, M. Schäffer, J. Hamrle, Andrea Ehrmann, M. Wortmann,
    and T. Kuschel. “Cubic Magneto-Optic Kerr Effect in Co(111) Thin Films.” <i>Applied
    Physics Letters</i> 128, no. 22 (2026). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0332728">https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0332728</a>.
  ieee: M. Gaerner <i>et al.</i>, “Cubic magneto-optic Kerr effect in Co(111) thin
    films,” <i>Applied Physics Letters</i>, vol. 128, no. 22, 2026.
  mla: Gaerner, M., et al. “Cubic Magneto-Optic Kerr Effect in Co(111) Thin Films.”
    <i>Applied Physics Letters</i>, vol. 128, no. 22, 221106, AIP Publishing, 2026,
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0332728">10.1063/5.0332728</a>.
  short: M. Gaerner, R. Silber, M. Schäffer, J. Hamrle, A. Ehrmann, M. Wortmann, T.
    Kuschel, Applied Physics Letters 128 (2026).
date_created: 2026-06-02T17:41:05Z
date_updated: 2026-06-02T17:41:18Z
doi: 10.1063/5.0332728
intvolume: '       128'
issue: '22'
language:
- iso: eng
project:
- _id: 0ec202b7-cd76-11ed-89f4-a9e1a6dbdaa7
  name: Institut für Technische Energie-Systeme
publication: Applied Physics Letters
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 1077-3118
  issn:
  - 0003-6951
publication_status: published
publisher: AIP Publishing
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: Cubic magneto-optic Kerr effect in Co(111) thin films
type: journal_article
user_id: '223776'
volume: 128
year: '2026'
...