Magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements under bipolar pulsed magnetic fields

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a MOKE measurement setup capable of operating under bipolar pulsed magnetic fields up to 13.1 T, enabling rapid, contact-free magnetic characterization with high accuracy.

Contribution

The authors developed and validated a pulsed-field MOKE system that accurately measures magnetism under high magnetic fields, expanding its application scope.

Findings

Excellent agreement with static-field results on Fe3O4 surface

Successful observation of hysteresis loops of permanent magnets

Effective rapid characterization of hysteretic properties

Abstract

The magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) is a powerful probe of magnetism. Its contact-free optical nature makes it potentially well suitable for measurements under pulsed magnetic fields if various difficulties are overcome. In this paper, we report the establishment of MOKE measurements under bipolar pulsed magnetic fields up to 13.1 T. The accuracy of the setup was demonstrated by the excellent agreement with static-field results on the (001) surface of a Fe3O4 single crystal. Furthermore, clear hysteresis loops of various commercial permanent magnets were successfully observed. The capability for rapid characterization of hysteretic properties highlights the versatility of our pulsed-field MOKE setup for both fundamental materials science and engineering applications.