Linear and nonlinear magneto-optical study of thin ferromagnetic MnAs films grown on Si[111]

Ferromagnetic-semiconductor heterostructures CaF/sub 2//MnAs/Si[111] have been studied by two complementary magneto-optical techniques: magnetization-induced second harmonic generation and linear magneto-optical Kerr effect. Crystallographic and magnetic contributions to SHG are separated on the base of the rotational anisotropy method. Magnetic hysteresis loops measured by SHG and Kerr effect exhibit different behavior due to different sensitivity of the two optical techniques to the interface, surface and bulk properties.