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Phys. Rev. B 53, 5449–5460 (1996)

[Issue 9 – 1 March 1996 ]

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Electronic transport in ultrathin magnetic multilayers

J. Barnas^* and Y. Bruynseraede

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

In-plane electronic transport in ultrathin metallic magnetic structures composed of two ferromagnetic films separated by a nonmagnetic metallic spacer is analyzed theoretically, with particular attention paid to the role of quantum size phenomena and interface roughness in the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect. Within the one-band model we predict oscillations in the resistivity and GMR as a function of the spacer thickness. In general, two different oscillation periods are found. It is also shown that the spin-dependent scattering due to interface roughness can enhance or reduce the GMR effect generated by the spin-dependent scattering on impurities or other defects inside the films. Long-range in-plane structural correlations of the interface roughness reduce its role in the GMR effect.

©1996 The American Physical Society

URL: http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRB/v53/p5449
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.53.5449

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