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    Enhancing the magneto-optical Kerr effect in noncollinear antiferromagnets via a dielectric layer

    Effie Gong*, Myoung-Woo Yoo, and Axel Hoffmann

    • *Contact author: yifei18@illinois.edu

    Phys. Rev. Applied 26, 054004 – Published 2 November, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/hl52-ght7

    Abstract

    We report a nearly fourfold enhancement of the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) in thin films of the noncollinear antiferromagnet Mn3Sn achieved through dielectric-layer engineering. While Mn3Sn exhibits a relatively strong Kerr response, further enhancement is crucial in thin-film geometries to improve optical contrast when probing antiferromagnetic domains and switching dynamics. We employ optical modeling based on the transfer-matrix formalism, incorporating experimentally determined refractive indices of Mn3Sn and fitting the complex Voigt parameter Q. The model predicts that the Kerr signal enhancement increases with the refractive index of the dielectric. Experimentally, we fabricate m-plane-oriented Mn3Sn thin films capped with MgO overlayers of varying thickness. Polar MOKE measurements reveal an enhancement of the Kerr rotation by a factor of 3.84±0.09 under optimal interference conditions, in excellent agreement with the modeling. Furthermore, the fitted Voigt parameter serves as a practical descriptor of magneto-optical coupling strength, and these results establish a general interference-based design framework for enhancing magneto-optical readout in unconventional magnetic materials.

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