Faraday effect and fragmentation of ferromagnetic layers in multilayer Co/Cu(1 1 1) nanofilms

With purpose to investigate influence of magnetically non-active metal layers on the Faraday effect in multilayer Ferromagnetic/Normal metal films, dependences of the Faraday rotation angles of the light polarization plane on magnetic field have been studied in multilayer [Co/Cu] nanofilms. It was revealed that the Faraday rotation varies with thickness of the Cu layers. This dependence of the Faraday rotation on the Cu layer thickness consists of the monotonic component, namely a gradual rise of the angle with increase of the Cu layer thickness, and the non-monotonic one represented by two minima. The monotonic changes of the Faraday rotation were satisfactory described in frames of the effective medium method. Two minima are explained with the Co layers fragmentation due to influence of size electron quantization in the Cu layers on formation of Co clusters during deposition of the films.