REU Student: Chad Weiler, Mentors: Anne Reilly and William Cooke

This study focuses on the investigation of the magnetic properties of ferromagnetic thin films using the magnetooptical Kerr effect (MOKE). The emphasis of this summer project has been to explore the magnetization of these thin films on an ultrafast time scale. The majority of this summer has been spent learning ultrafast laster techniques and setting up an apparatus that will perform this type of measurement. The apparatus consists of an ultrafast laser system that utilizes MOKE in a pump-probe configuration.