Magneto-optical Kerr effect in a non-collinear antiferromagnet Mn3Ge

Abstract

Non-collinear antiferromagnet Mn3Sn is a functional material that exhibits the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) as well as the anomalous Hall effect, arising from the nonvanishing Berry curvature in the broken time-reversal symmetry lattice system likewise the ferromagnets. Mn3Ge, isostructural to Mn3Sn, is also expected to exhibit a similar MOKE but has not been demonstrated yet. In this study, we performed the MOKE measurement in a Mn3Ge single crystal and obtained a large polar MOKE signal (∼8.2 mdeg) and a longitudinal MOKE signal (∼5.6 mdeg). Furthermore, by applying hyperfine polishing and annealing to the surface, we rebuilt a homogenous surface and largely improved the reproducibility of the MOKE signal in Mn3Ge.