Phys. Rev. Lett. Phys. Rev. A Phys. Rev. B Phys. Rev. C Phys. Rev. D Phys. Rev. E Phys. Rev. ST AB Rev. Mod. Phys. Phys. Rev. (Series I) Phys. Rev. Volume: Page/Article:

Phys. Rev. B 50, 9957–9962 (1994)

[Issue 14 – 1 October 1994 ]

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Relation between interface roughness and giant magnetoresistance in MBE-grown polycrystalline Fe/Cr superlattices

P. Beliën, R. Schad, C. D. Potter, G. Verbanck, V. V. Moshchalkov, and Y. Bruynseraede

Laboratorium voor Vaste-Stoffysika en Magnetisme, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200 D, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium

We have studied the influence of the interface roughness on the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) of polycrystalline Fe/Cr superlattices, grown by molecular beam epitaxy on polycrystalline substrates. The interface quality was changed systematically by varying the growth temperature between 0 and 400 °C and by the use of a Cr seed layer. X-ray-diffraction spectra, combined with resistivity data, show that a moderate step density at the interfaces can enhance the GMR, whereas interdiffusion and important interface roughness strongly suppress the GMR.

©1994 The American Physical Society

URL: http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRB/v50/p9957
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.50.9957
PACS: 73.50.Jt, 75.50.Rr, 75.70.Cn, 75.70.Fr

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