Photoinduced drift of electrons in thin magnetic films

The results are presented of experimental studies of variations in the polarization of light reflected from multilayer thin metal films containing nonmagnetic Bi or Ti films and a TbFe magnetic film magnetized in the direction perpendicular to the film plane. An additional optical rotation of light reflected from bismuth and titanium films was observed upon their irradiation by intense nanosecond pulses from a semiconductor laser. This optical rotation is attributed to the photoinduced drift of electrons with polarized spins from the magnetic TbFe film.