Atomic-scale depth selectivity of soft x-ray resonant Kerr effect

By the use of resonant soft x-ray Kerr rotation measurements with its varying incident angle and energy, we observed various shifts of the exchange bias field of a 3.5-nm-thick Co layer in oppositely exchange-biased Ni81Fe19/Fe50Mn50/Co/Pd films. The results in conjunction with their model simulations clearly reveal that the measurements enable one to resolve varying magnetization with depth in the individual magnetic layers of such a multicomponent ultrathin layered structure on the atomic scales. Significant interference effects combined with penetration depth of resonant soft x rays, which are closely associated with their absorptive and refractive contributions, offer remarkably different depth sensitivities into the Kerr effects depending on grazing angle and resonance energy. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.