Surface-plasmon-induced enhancement of magneto-optical Kerr effect in all-nickel subwavelength nanogratings

Enhancement of transversal magneto-optical Kerr effect (TKE) is controlled experimentally in magnetoplasmonic subwavelength nanogratings made of nickel films by resonant excitation of surface plasmon-polaritons (SPPs). Almost one order of magnitude increase of the TKE value is observed in the spectral range of Wood's anomaly corresponding to the fulfillment of the phase-matching conditions for SPP excitation. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3533260]