Size effect in magneto-optical properties of Co nanoparticle dispersed systems

Faraday rotation spectra of Co nanoparticles embedded in polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) matrix were investigated by the theoretical and experimental approaches. Co nanoparticles were synthesized by means of the thermal decomposition method, which makes it possible to control the particle concentration without changing the particle size distribution. The amplitude of Faraday rotation is dependent on the particle concentration, and the Faraday rotation spectra show the blueshift accompanied by the decrease in size of Co nanoparticles. The experimental results of Faraday spectra were consistent with the calculation using the Maxwell-Garnett model which is considering the size-dependent free-electron contribution and size independent bound-electron contribution. It was found that the spectral shift was caused only by the size-dependent diagonal element in the dielectric constant tensor, which originates from the confinement of the free electrons in nanoparticles.