Simultaneous measurement of magneto-optical rotation and ellipticity using dual-pointers weak measurement
Yifan Wang, Shushu Shi, Lan Luo, Weisheng Yue, Yunfei Luo, Sijie Zhang, Tong LiMagneto-optical (MO) effects, manifested as a complex rotation of light polarization under an external magnetic field, have found renewed and advanced applications in integrated photonics, intelligent sensing, ultrafast magnetic recording, and high-resolution magnetic imaging. Accurate measurement of both the rotation angle (the real part) and the ellipticity (the imaginary part) is essential for fundamental research and device applications. However, existing measurement schemes generally require separate measurements or distinct detection configurations and therefore cannot simultaneously retrieve both quantities in a single measurement. In this work, we propose a scheme based on weak measurement using dual-pointers, enabling the simultaneous measurement of the rotation angle and ellipticity within a single meter state. This method was theoretically and experimentally implemented to measure the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE), the Faraday effect, and the Cotton-Mouton effect, demonstrating its broad applicability. This work contributes a characterization technique for the complex angle of MO effects, supporting potential applications across spintronics, quantum materials, and advanced optical sensing.