Magnetic and magneto-optical properties of Mn\u3csub\u3e\u3ci\u3ex\u3c/i\u3e\u3c/sub\u3ePt\u3csub\u3e1–\u3ci\u3ex–y\u3c/i\u3e\u3c/sub\u3eZn\u3csub\u3e\u3ci\u3ey\u3c/i\u3e\u3c/sub\u3e

In this work we have prepared thin films of the ternary alloy MnxPt1–x–yZny by magnetron sputtering onto quartz substrates. We have found a wide range of compositions which are strongly ferromagnetic at room temperature. A transition from a cubic to tetragonal phase with decreasing Pt content is confirmed by x-ray diffraction. X-ray diffraction measurements also show a strong (001) reflection consistent with long range order along the c axis for the tetragonal phase. These films show large complex Kerr rotations (up to 0.7°) in the visible spectrum. This combined with their anisotropic structure suggests that they may be suitable for magneto-optic data storage applications