Magneto-Optical Observation of CPP-GMR Device With Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy Driven by Spin Transfer Switching Using Transparent Top Electrode

A new magneto-optical (MO) spatial light modulator (SLM) driven by spin transfer switching (STS) promises the realization of an ultra-high resolution SLM. However, its Kerr rotation angle was inadequate and required improvement using polar Kerr. Gd-Fe film, known as a material for MO disks, has a large MO effect. In this study, we applied a composite film with a Gd-Fe layer and multiple Co/Ni layers for a free layer of a CPP-GMR device. We fabricated a CPP-GMR device with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and succeeded in magneto-optical observations driven by STS using a transparent top electrode.