Recent results on the giant magnetoresistance in magnetic multilayers (anisotropy, thermal variation and CCP-GMR)

Abstract

We present some recent results obtained on the electrical transport properties in magnetic multilayers. Three points are addressed. The first one is an experimental demonstration of the existence of an intrinsic anisotropy of the giant magnetoresistance (GMR). The experiments have been carried out on spin-valve samples for which there is no contribution of the usual anisotropic magnetoresistance to the observed magnetoresistance. The GMR amplitude is found to be larger (lower) in the direction perpendicular (parallel) to the sensing current. The second point concerns a quantitative analysis of the thermal variation of the CIP (current-in-plane) GMR in magnetic multilayers. This analysis is based on a semi-classical theory including the spin-intermixing due to spin-flip scattering by magnons. This approach allows quantitatively evaluation of the respective weights of the various contributions to the thermal decrease in GMR: (i) scattering by magnons in the bulk of the ferromagnetic layers; (ii) phonon scattering in the non-magnetic spacer layer; and (iii) interfacial scattering by paramagnetic interfacial layers which may form as the temperature is increased. The third point is a theoretical investigation of the CPP (current perpendicular to the plane) electrical transport through an interface between two semi-infinite metallic materials. It is shown that when a potential step U exists at such an interface, this step gives rise to an interfacial resistance proportional to U 2. It also leads to the existence of large oscillations in the electric fields on both sides of the interface.