Abstract
We present a scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) which is optimized for quantitative determination of magneto-optic effects. Faraday rotation can be measured in transmission mode while a reflection mode SNOM enables us to determine the Kerr rotation on opaque samples. The local Faraday rotation of rare-earth doped ferrimagnetic garnets is presented as well as the local Kerr rotation of a Co/Pt sample with thermomagnetically written magnetic domains. A quantitative determination of magneto-optic effects is achieved by employing a phase-modulating lock-in technique. This allows the investigation of the fine structure of domain walls which is illustrated on the garnet samples. The angular resolution of the local Faraday and Kerr rotation is limited by the degree and stability of the polarization at the fiber tip and amounts to approximately 0.1° for the samples presented.
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