Effects of interchannel transitions in the current-in-plane giant magnetoresistance

Abstract

Transport in magnetic multilayers is considered theoretically within a quasi classical approach based on the Boltzmann kinetic equation. The case of an in-plane electric current is analysed within the two-current model with spin mixing processes taken into account. Such processes decrease the resistance change at the transition from antiparallel to parallel alignment of the film magnetizations. Scattering by interfaces and surfaces is taken into account by appropriate spin-dependent boundary conditions.