Enhancing magneto-optic effects in two-dimensional magnets by thin-film interference

Abstract

The magneto-optic Kerr effect is a powerful tool for measuring magnetism in thin films at microscopic scales, as was recently demonstrated by the major role it played in the discovery of two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnetism in monolayer CrI3 and Cr2Ge2Te6. These 2D magnets are often stacked with other 2D materials in van der Waals heterostructures on a SiO2/Si substrate, giving rise to thin-film interference. This can strongly affect magneto-optical measurements but is often not taken into account in experiments. Here, we show that thin-film interference can be used to engineer the magneto-optical signals of 2D magnetic materials and optimize them for a given experiment or setup. Using the transfer matrix method, we analyze the magneto-optical signals from realistic systems composed of van der Waals heterostructures on SiO2/Si substrates, using CrI3 as a prototypical 2D magnet, and hexagonal boron nitride to encapsulate this air-sensitive layer. We observe a strong modulation of the Kerr rotation and ellipticity, reaching several tens to hundreds of milliradians, as a function of the illumination wavelength, and the thickness of SiO2 and layers composing the van der Waals heterostructure. Similar results are obtained in heterostructures composed by other 2D magnets, such as CrCl3, CrBr3, and Cr2Ge2Te6. Designing samples for the optimal trade-off between magnitude of the magneto-optical signals and intensity of the reflected light should result in a higher sensitivity and shorter measurement times. Therefore, we expect that careful sample engineering, taking into account thin-film interference effects, will further the knowledge of magnetization in low-dimensional structures.