Enhanced Faraday rotation in CdMnTe quantum wells embedded in an optical cavity

We demonstrate an enhancement of Faraday rotation in reflection geometry (polar Kerr effect) for semimagnetic quantum wells embedded in a semiconductor–metal optical cavity. The theory of light reflection and Faraday rotation in multi-quantum well heterostructures is developed and applied to fit the experimental results. The large Faraday rotation (54.4° T−1) makes this structure suitable for use as magneto-optic layers in the Faraday microscopy of the magnetic flux pattern at the surface of superconducting films.