Temperature dependence of a thin cobalt film magneto-optic sensor

The temperature dependence of the Faraday rotation angle in five thin cobalt films with different thickness is presented. This is a critical parameter in the study and characterization of magneto-optic sensors. The results obtained are compared with those of other type of materials sorted by their magnetic behaviour. Cobalt as every other ferromagnetic material, has an extremely high Verdet constant and it is expected to have a good stability with temperature without the needing of compensation. The results obtained in this job show that there is a critical thickness where no variations of the rotation angle with the temperature are found. This makes of thin cobalt films a valuable candidate to be used as a magneto-optic material in many applications.