Enhanced Magneto-Optical Kerr Effect in Nano-Magnetic Metamaterials with Near-Perfect Coherent Absorption

Xiaofei Xiao; Tingjun Zheng; Alex Vanstone; Daniel S. Bromley; Holly Holder; Kilian D. Stenning; Jack C. Gartside; Will R. Branford; Rupert F. Oulton

arXiv · 2610.09917

Enhanced Magneto-Optical Kerr Effect in Nano-Magnetic Metamaterials with Near-Perfect Coherent Absorption

Xiaofei Xiao·Tingjun Zheng·Alex Vanstone·Daniel S. Bromley·Holly Holder·Kilian D. Stenning·Jack C. Gartside·Will R. Branford·Rupert F. Oulton

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Abstract

The ability to control magnetic systems without external magnetic fields has attracted attention recently, with all-optical magnetic switching showing increasing promise. Gaining fine control over light-matter interactions in magnetic nanostructures is essential for advancing opto-magnetic technologies, but remains challenging because strong optical coupling must be achieved within ultrathin magnetic structures at the target wavelength. Here, we show that coherent optical interference can increase this interaction in patterned magnetic metasurfaces. Arrays of permalloy nanomagnets are placed on a thin dielectric spacer above a reflective back-plane, forming a magnetic metasurface whose reflected wavefront is defined by the nanomagnet geometry, fill factor, and spacer thickness. Destructive interference between the metasurface and back-plane reflections yields near-perfect absorption, exceeding 95% for circular nanomagnet arrays in both simulation and experiment. The absorbed power is dissipated almost entirely within the nanomagnets, with only a few percent lost in the metallic back-plane. Enhanced absorption is also accompanied by a stronger magneto-optical Kerr effect, driven by both increased light-nanomagnet interaction and reduced reflected background. These results provide a general approach for achieving high optical absorption and strong magneto-optical response in nanoscale magnetic systems, supporting advances in optically addressable spintronics, magnetic sensing, and all-optical magnetic control.

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Xiaofei Xiao, Tingjun Zheng, Alex Vanstone, Daniel S. Bromley, Holly Holder, Kilian D. Stenning, Jack C. Gartside, Will R. Branford, Rupert F. Oulton. 2026-10-07. Enhanced Magneto-Optical Kerr Effect in Nano-Magnetic Metamaterials with Near-Perfect Coherent Absorption. https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.09917

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