Observation of periodic oscillations in magnetization-induced second harmonic generation at the Mn/Co interfac

Magnetization-induced optical second harmonic generation (MSHG) from exchange-biased Mn/Co thin films shows monolayer period oscillations at the Mn/Co interface as a function of Co thickness. Similar oscillations are found in the exchange bias (H-E) and the coercivity (H-C) in both the interface sensitive MSHG and the bulk sensitive magneto-optical Kerr effect, indicating that magnetic reversal in the Co bulk and at the Mn/Co interface is collinear. Assuming a linear relationship between the MSHG asymmetry and the magnetic moment, our results suggest that there is an enhancement of the interface net magnetic moment at the full monolayer regions.