Anisotropic magnetotransport properties of cobalt thin films

Abstract

Anisotropic magnetoresistance of order 1% was measured on a series of cobalt films. A − M 2 effect was observed in the out-of-plane magnetoresistance and a large extraordinary Hall effect was also found for applied fields B 0 smaller than the saturation polarisation J s. The origin of the − M 2 effect is discussed in the light of the different spin dependent mean free paths of majority and minority carriers recently measured in cobalt.