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The continued progress of modern information technology relies on understanding the influence of magnetic anisotropy on magnetic thin films. In this work, two sources of magnetic anisotropy are examined in two different soft ferromagnets: a uniaxial anisotropy induced during the fabrication of Ni80Fe20 and exchange anisotropy, or exchange bias, which occurs at the interface of Ni77Fe14Cu5Mo4/Fe50Mn50 bilayer. A home-built Magneto-optical Kerr effect magnetometer is used to measure the magnetic response of the soft ferromagnetic films and details of its construction are also discussed. A simple model of uniaxial anisotropy is described, then applied, to the uniaxial NiFe film and deviations from the model are critically analyzed. The exchange bias and coercive fields of NiFeCuMo/FeMn are reported for the first time and studied as a function of buffer layer material. The influence of the different buffer layer materials on the magnetization response of the bilayer is explained from a structural standpoint.

Articial spin ice structures are two-dimensional systems of lithographically fabricated lattices ofelongated ferromagnetic islands, which interact via dipolar interaction. These systems have beenshown to be a suitable playground to study the magnetic, monopole-like, excitations, similar tothose in three-dimensional rare-earth pyrochlores. Therefore, such articial structures can be potentialmaterials for investigations of magnetricity [1]. The investigations of these articial spin icestructures stretches from the direct imaging of the magnetic congurations among the islands to indirectinvestigation methods allowing to determine the phase transitions occurring in such systems. Inthis project, square articial spin ice arrays were investigated employing magneto-optical Kerr eectfor the measurement of the magnetic susceptibility. The susceptibility dependence on temperaturewas measured at dierent frequencies of the applied AC magnetic eld for arrays of the dierentisland spacing and at two dierent incident light directions with the respect to the direction of theislands. A peak shift of the real part of susceptibility, χ', with increasing frequency towards thehigher temperatures was observed. Furthermore, a rough estimation of the relaxation times of themagnetic moments in the islands is given by the analysis of the susceptibility data.

In this thesis we ran a series of 2D simulations of femtosecond laser pulses filamenting in air using the FDTD method, a saturable Lorentz oscillator model of air [1], and two separate models of plasma: a Drude model where the plasma density is static in space, and a particle-in-cell model where plasma is free to migrate throughout the simulation space. By comparing matched pairs of simulations, which varied in pulse size, duration, and intensity, we can gauge the impact plasma dynamics has upon the evolution of a filamenting laser pulse. From these tests we determine that, while there are some visible differences between dynamic and static plasmas, plasma dynamics do not significantly alter the evolution of the pulse.

We present a time-resolved Kerr microscope, capable of measuring the magnetization dynamics of samples grown on transparent, double-side-polished substrates.The magnetization is excited by a current pulse, using a coplanar waveguide placed beneath the samples. The Kerr rotation is detected with the stroboscopic pump-probe technique, using a probing laser, synchronized with the current pulse.We report benchmark measurements of the time-resolved Kerr instrument for magnetization dynamics in thin permalloy and FePd films. The experimental results for ferromagnetic resonance peaks have been compared with the values predicted by Kittel. / Vi presenterar ett tidsupplöst Kerr-mikroskop, kapabel till att mäta magnetiseringsdynamiken hos magnetiska prov tillverkade på transparenta, dubbelsdigt polerade substrat. Magnetiseringen exiteras med en strömpuls via en koplanär vågguide placerad under provet. Kerr-rotationen detekteras med hjälp av en stroboskopisk ”pump-probe” teknik som använder en ”probing” laser synchroniserad med strömpulsen. Vi rapporterar prestandatest av det tidsupplösta kerr-instrumentet för magnetiseringsdynamiken i tunna permalloy - och FePd - filmer. De experimentella resultaten för de ferromagnetiska resonans-peakarna har jämförts med beräknade värden från Kittel.

Apresentamos neste trabalho uma nova técnica de medida dos termos não-lineares do coeficiente de absorção (beta) e do índice de refração (n_2). Esta nova técnica, denominada Varredura Z de Reflexão Inclinada, aumenta a sensibilidade da Varredura Z de Reflexão em cerca de 30 vezes pelo emprego de um feixe polarizado com incidência inclinada sobre a amostra em estudo. Para uma polarização paralela ao plano de incidência, temos um máximo de sensibilidade nas proximidades do ângulo de Brewster para materiais transparentes, ou do ângulo de mínima reflexão em materiais absortivos. Conseguimos por este método medir variações do índice de refração da ordem de 10^{-4} em absorvedores saturáveis (Aluminato de Gadolínio - GdAlO_{3}:Cr^{+3}). Tais medidas não seriam possíveis sem o aumento obtido na sensibilidade e o uso de uma alta resolução no sistema de aquisição (melhor que 0,1% em intensidade). / We present in this work a new technique that we developed for the measurements of nonlinear coefficients of the absorption (beta) and from the refractive index (n_2). The use of a polarized beam in this new technique (Reflection Z-Scan with Inclined Incidence) increases the set-up sensibility of the conventional RZ-Scan measurement in 30 times. For parallel polarization of the beam to the incidence plane, we can see an increase in the measurement sensibility as the incident light angle approaches the Brewster angle for transparent materials, or the minimum reflection angle for an absorbing material. We have measured changes in the refractive index as small as 10^{-4} in saturable absorber (Gadolinium Aluminate - GdAlO_{3}:Cr^{+3}). Such measurements would not be possible without the development of the sensitivity enhancement achieved by this technique and a high amplitude resolution on the data acquisition system, as small as 0.1%.

Apresentamos neste trabalho uma nova técnica de medida dos termos não-lineares do coeficiente de absorção (beta) e do índice de refração (n_2). Esta nova técnica, denominada Varredura Z de Reflexão Inclinada, aumenta a sensibilidade da Varredura Z de Reflexão em cerca de 30 vezes pelo emprego de um feixe polarizado com incidência inclinada sobre a amostra em estudo. Para uma polarização paralela ao plano de incidência, temos um máximo de sensibilidade nas proximidades do ângulo de Brewster para materiais transparentes, ou do ângulo de mínima reflexão em materiais absortivos. Conseguimos por este método medir variações do índice de refração da ordem de 10^{-4} em absorvedores saturáveis (Aluminato de Gadolínio - GdAlO_{3}:Cr^{+3}). Tais medidas não seriam possíveis sem o aumento obtido na sensibilidade e o uso de uma alta resolução no sistema de aquisição (melhor que 0,1% em intensidade). / We present in this work a new technique that we developed for the measurements of nonlinear coefficients of the absorption (beta) and from the refractive index (n_2). The use of a polarized beam in this new technique (Reflection Z-Scan with Inclined Incidence) increases the set-up sensibility of the conventional RZ-Scan measurement in 30 times. For parallel polarization of the beam to the incidence plane, we can see an increase in the measurement sensibility as the incident light angle approaches the Brewster angle for transparent materials, or the minimum reflection angle for an absorbing material. We have measured changes in the refractive index as small as 10^{-4} in saturable absorber (Gadolinium Aluminate - GdAlO_{3}:Cr^{+3}). Such measurements would not be possible without the development of the sensitivity enhancement achieved by this technique and a high amplitude resolution on the data acquisition system, as small as 0.1%.

The laser-induced molecular reorientation effect of guest-host dye-doped liquid crystals in isotropic phase has been studied by measuring the signals of optical Kerr effect using pulsed frequency-doubling Nd:YAG laser as a pumping source. The critical behavior near the isotropic-nematic transition has been observed when the temperature approaches to the phase transition of liquid crystal. The relaxation time constant is about several hundreds of ns as the temperature is far above the clearing point of liquid crystals and that is longer than 1500 ns as the temperature is close to the clearing point of liquid crystals. According to Landau¡¦s second phase transition theory, the interaction between liquid crystal molecules will be increased and the nonlinearity effect of liquid crystal will be enhanced when the temperature is near the clearing point of liquid crystal. The relaxation time constant of molecular reorientation is a function of viscosity and temperature of liquid crystal, the relationship can be fitted as£b0*exp(f/T)*(1/T-T*),where £b0 is the viscosity coefficient and T* is the clearing point of the sample. The optical Kerr signal is found to be proportional to the energy density of pumping source. The optical Kerr signal can be sustained as long as 20£gs when the energy density of pumping source reaches to 1J/cm sq. The enhancement of molecular reorientation effect is also observed by increasing the concentration of dye.

The goal of this project was to study some unexplored optical and magneto-optical properties of the newest member of III-V ferromagnetic structures, InMnSb, as well as InSb films and InSb/AlInSb quantum wells. The emphasis was on dynamical aspects such as charge and spin dynamics in order to address several important issues of the spin-related phenomena. The objectives in this project were to: 1) understand charge/spin dynamics in NGS with different confinement potentials, 2) study phenomena such as interband photo-galvanic effects, in order to generate spin polarized current, 3) probe the effect of magnetic impurities on the spin/charge dynamics. This thesis describes three experiments: detection and measurement of spin polarized photocurrents in InSb films and quantum wells arising from the circular photogalvanic effect, and measurements of the carrier and spin relaxation in InSb and InMnSb structures by magneto-optical Kerr effect and differential transmission. The samples for our studies have been provided by Prof. Heremans at Virginia Tech, Prof. Santos at the University of Oklahoma, and Prof. Furdyna at the University of Notre Dame. / Ph. D.