To provide a magnetic domain image processing apparatus and a magnetic domain image processing method by which strain of an electromagnetic steel sheet can be evaluated in more detail. The invention is a magnetic domain image processing apparatus that processes a magnetic domain image, and the magnetic domain image processing apparatus includes: an image acquisition unit configured to acquire a reference magnetic domain image and a positive magnetic domain image or acquire the reference magnetic domain image and a negative magnetic domain image, the reference magnetic domain image being a magnetic domain image that is obtained when a stimulus of a reference intensity that is an intensity serving as a reference is applied to a sample, the positive magnetic domain image being a magnetic domain image that is obtained when the stimulus of an intensity higher than the reference intensity is applied to the sample, and the negative magnetic domain image being a magnetic domain image that is obtained when the stimulus of an intensity lower than the reference intensity is applied to the sample; and an image generation unit configured to generate, based on the reference magnetic domain image and the positive magnetic domain image, or based on the reference magnetic domain image and the negative magnetic domain image, a stress distribution image indicating a distribution of a stress region that is a region where stress is generated.

A spin-orbit torque (SOT) measuring apparatus includes a photoelastic modulator (PEM) configured to periodically modulate a polarization direction of linearly polarized incident light and emit a periodically modulated light, a first polarization rotator configured to rotate a polarization direction of the periodically modulated light, a voltage generator configured to generate an AC current to a sample to which light with the rotated polarization direction is to be emitted, a prism configured to split light reflected into first light and second light having different polarization directions, a balanced detector configured to output a signal corresponding to an intensity difference between the first light and the second light, a changing circuit configured to change a frequency component to the intensity difference, and an amplitude measurer configured to measure an amplitude of a frequency component corresponding to a modulation frequency of the PEM with the changed frequency component.

To reduce a measurement time, an inspection device includes a stage configured to fix a magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) to a stage surface and moving the MRAM, a plurality of magnets configured to generate a gradient magnetic, a plurality of line sensors comprising a first line sensor for detecting a magneto-optical effect at a first location of the MRAM and a second line sensor for detecting the magneto-optical effect at a second location that is different from the first location by moving a location of the MRAM within the gradient magnetic field, and an information processor configured to process the magneto-optical effect detected by the plurality of line sensors. Thus, throughput may be improved.

A magnetic property measuring system includes a stage configured to hold a sample and a magnetic structure disposed over the stage. The stage includes a body part, a magnetic part adjacent the body part, and a plurality of holes defined in the body part. The magnetic part of the stage and the magnetic structure are configured to apply a magnetic field, which is perpendicular to one surface of the sample, to the sample. The stage is configured to move horizontally in an x-direction and a y-direction which are parallel to the one surface of the sample.

Sub-diffraction limited magneto-optical microscopy, such as Kerr or Faraday effect microscopy, provide many advantages to fields of science and technology for measuring, or imaging, the magnetization structures and magnetization domains of materials. Disclosed is a method and system for performing sub-diffraction limited magneto-optic microscopy. The method includes positioning a microlens or microlens layer relative to a surface of a sample to image the surface of the sample, forming a photonic nanojet to probe the surface of the sample, and receiving light reflected by the surface of the sample or transmitted through the sample at an imaging sensor. The methods and associated systems and devices enable sub-diffraction limited imaging of magnetic domains at resolutions 2 to 8 times the classical diffraction limit.

A magnetization measurement device includes: a current supply part supplying a periodically changing current to a sample made of a soft magnetic material with uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in a first direction and a bias magnetic field applied in a second direction crossing the first direction; a light irradiation part irradiating a surface of the sample with linearly polarized pulse light having a predetermined delay time with respect to the current and having a predetermined polarized surface; and a measurement part measuring magnetization of the sample at the delay time based on reflected light of the pulse light reflected by the surface of the sample. These enable the measurement of the change in the magnetization of the sample over time, which corresponds to supply of the periodically changing current.

A magnetic property measuring system includes a stage configured to hold a sample and a magnetic structure disposed over the stage. The stage includes a body part, a magnetic part adjacent the body part, and a plurality of holes defined in the body part. The magnetic part of the stage and the magnetic structure are configured to apply a magnetic field, which is perpendicular to one surface of the sample, to the sample. The stage is configured to move horizontally in an x-direction and a y-direction which are parallel to the one surface of the sample.

A defect inspection device configured to measure a surface shape of an inspection target using light applied to the inspection target via a spatial light phase modulator based on an interference state of reflected light from the inspection target obtained via the spatial light phase modulator, to measure magnetic field distribution of a surface of the inspection target magnetized by an excitation device for magnetizing the inspection target using light applied to the inspection target via the spatial light phase modulator based on an interference state of reflected light from the inspection target obtained via the spatial light phase modulator, and to separate data of a magnetic field specific portion which exists on the surface of the inspection target from magnetic field distribution data which is a measurement result of magnetic field distribution of the inspection target based on surface shape data which is a measurement result of the surface shape of the inspection target, to suppress deterioration of measurement accuracy of magnetic field distribution generated by the surface shape of the inspection target and to improve defect detection accuracy.

An apparatus to detect and measure a T-MOKE signal includes a first linear polarizer located on the optical path between a light source and a reflecting surface of a sample, a device to produce a magnetic field at the sample location, the device being configured to direct the magnetization perpendicularly to the optical plane of incidence and to reverse the direction of the magnetic field, a rotatable quarter-wave plate located after the reflecting surface on the optical path of the reflected light, a second linear polarizer that is rotatable and is located after the quarter-wave plate on the optical path of the reflected light, and a photo-detector located after the second linear polarizer on the optical path of the reflected light, the photo-detector being configured to measure the intensity of the light. A method for extracting a T-MOKE signal in an ellipsometric measurement procedure employs such an apparatus. The method includes a polarization detection scheme to ascertain that a T-MOKE signal (and not a noise signal) is indeed detected.

To provide a magnetic domain image processing apparatus and a magnetic domain image processing method by which strain of an electromagnetic steel sheet can be evaluated in more detail. The invention is a magnetic domain image processing apparatus that processes a magnetic domain image, and the magnetic domain image processing apparatus includes: an image acquisition unit configured to acquire a reference magnetic domain image and a positive magnetic domain image or acquire the reference magnetic domain image and a negative magnetic domain image, the reference magnetic domain image being a magnetic domain image that is obtained when a stimulus of a reference intensity that is an intensity serving as a reference is applied to a sample, the positive magnetic domain image being a magnetic domain image that is obtained when the stimulus of an intensity higher than the reference intensity is applied to the sample, and the negative magnetic domain image being a magnetic domain image that is obtained when the stimulus of an intensity lower than the reference intensity is applied to the sample; and an image generation unit configured to generate, based on the reference magnetic domain image and the positive magnetic domain image, or based on the reference magnetic domain image and the negative magnetic domain image, a stress distribution image indicating a distribution of a stress region that is a region where stress is generated.