Magneto-optical studies of epitaxial EuS films on silicon

Abstract An improved simple method for magneto-optical display of ferromagnetic domains by means of laser light is reported. As an example, characteristic domain patterns are presented and discussed, which develop during the magnetization reversal of ferromagnetic EuS-films grown epitaxially on silicon substrates. The critical field strength for domain nucleation, H K , the coercive field, H c , the saturation field, H s , and the direction and width of the domains have been studied as function of angle varied between the magnetical easy and hard axes of (110)- and (111)-EuS films, and as a function of temperature between 6 and 14.5 K. By extrapolating the linear decrease of H 2 K,cs vs. T to zero the Curie temperature of the (110)- and (111)-EuS films has been determined to (15.3±0.2) K and (14.5±0.2) K, respectively.