Kerr microscopy and magnetometry

After the introduction of digital image processing in the 1980s, wide-field Kerr microscopy has become a widely used and effective tool for magnetic domain imaging providing the most direct access to the effective magnetic properties of materials from macro- down to the nanoscale [1,2]. Here, I focus on recent advances in wide-field magneto-optical Kerr microscopy for the imaging of magnetic microstructures. The advanced techniques include selective sensitivity, quantitative domain analysis, ways for microscopy beyond the resolution limit will be addressed as well. Both fundamental and technical aspects of wide-field Kerr microscopy will be considered. Starting with basics of in-plane and out-of-plane Kerr contrast formation in the microscope and conventional application like MOKE magnetometry or depth sensitive Kerr microscopy we will proceed to advanced techniques applied in Kerr microscopy including selective sensitivity, quantitative domain analysis and first-order reversal curve (FORC) analysis. Quantitative and computing ways for microscopy beyond the resolution limit will be addressed as well. The not-on-sample-direct Kerr microscopy with help of magneto-optical indicator film (MOIF) together with other techniques will be discussed.

[1] A. Hubert and R. Schäfer, Magnetic Domains: The Analysis of Magnetic Microstructures. Berlin, Germany: Springer, 1998.
[2] I. V. Soldatov and R. Schäfer, ‘‘Selective sensitivity in Kerr microscopy,’’Rev. Scientific Instrum., vol. 88, no. 7, Jul. 2017, Art. no. 073701, doi:10.1063/1.4991820.

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