Magneto‐optic properties of amorphous terbium‐iron

The magneto‐optic properties of rf sputtered amorphous TbxFe1−x(x≊0.21) alloys were investigated using reflectivity, ellipsometry, and polar Kerr measurements. Oxide growth in air at different temperatures was first studied, and the oxide composition and growth kinetics were correlated by ellipsometry and Auger measurements. Alloy films overcoated in situ with several thicknesses of SiO2 were then used for optical studies of the ’’unoxidized’’ interface, and the data obtained yielded the diagonal and off‐diagonal elements of the dielectric tensor of unoxidized material.