Influence of quadratic contributions in magnetization-induced second harmonic generation studies of magnetization reversal

Magnetization-induced optical Second Harmonic Generation (MSHG) from an exchange-biased CoO/Fe multilayer produces an asymmetrical hysteresis loop that indicates different magnetization reversal behaviour between the interface and the bulk ferromagnet. A more careful analysis of the data demonstrates that this asymmetry is in fact due to a quadratic dependence on the magnetization of the MSHG intensity. (c) 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.