Detailed analysis of the in situ magneto-optic Kerr signal of gadolinium films near the Curie temperature

Abstract
The temperature and magnetic‐field‐dependent Kerr signal of layer‐by‐layer grown 300 Å Gd(0001) on W(110) is analyzed below and above the Curie temperature TC. The changes in the signal shape when passing through TC are discussed. We introduce a new and independent method for accurately determining TC in thin magnetic films in ultrahigh vacuum. As a consequence, discussions of the remanence, the field induced magnetization, and the critical exponent β become more transparent.