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Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 4309–4312 (1998)

[Issue 19 – 11 May 1998 ]

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Origin of Giant Magnetoresistance: Bulk or Interface Scattering

P. Zahn, J. Binder, and I. Mertig

Institut für Theoretische Physik, Technische Universität Dresden, D-01062 Dresden, Germany

R. Zeller and P. H. Dederichs

Institut für Festkörperforschung, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany

Calculations of giant magnetoresistance (GMR) of Co/Cu (001) multilayers are presented. Starting from density functional theory the electronic structure of the multilayer is described by means of a new Green's function method. Scattering of superlattice wave functions at delta -like scatterers is considered. It will be shown that due to the existence of quantum well and interface states in multilayers GMR is strongly affected by scattering centers at the interface. Results for a multilayer with a Cu thickness corresponding to the first antiferromagnetic maximum of the interlayer exchange coupling are discussed in detail.

©1998 The American Physical Society

URL: http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v80/p4309
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.80.4309
PACS: 75.70.Pa, 71.20.-b, 72.15.Gd, 75.70.Cn

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