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The role of the density of states in the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) of ferromagnet 1 (FM1)/nonmagnetic (NM=Cu)/ferromagnet 1 (FM1) sandwiches has been investigated by inserting a thin layer of the second ferromagnetic material (FM2=Co) at the FM1/Cu interfaces. As the thickness of the inserted layer increases, the GMR increases to a value seen for purely Co/Cu/Co sandwiches. By using differing FM1 materials [e.g., Py (permalloy (Ni[sub 80]Fe[sub 20]), Ni, Fe] we observe the exponential increase in GMR as more Co is inserted to be dependent on the FM1 material behind it. This is explained by realizing that although the GMR is dominated by the scattering caused by defects like those at the FM2 material/Cu interface, the nature of the scattering depends on the density of states of the FM1 material. This result is discussed in terms of advanced theories on the origin of the GMR in magnetic multilayers. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is of interest to determine the characteristic length scale that determines giant magnetoresistance (GMR). In order to understand this behavior, GMR multilayers of Co/Ru and Co/Cu have been studied at a temperature of 4.2 K. The total thickness of Co/Ru multilayers has been varied from 96 to 1654 Å and Co/Cu from 77 to 2712 Å by increasing the number of bilayers (N). It has been observed that GMR increases with the number of bilayers and more than 20 bilayers for Co/Ru and 50 for Co/Cu are needed to reach the saturation value. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The in-plane magnetic properties of Co0.7Fe0.3 films sputtered onto Al0.1Ga0.9As and Al0.1Ga0.9As/GaAs epilayers are consistent with a strongly oriented bcc crystal structure with clean metal-semiconductor interfaces. However, the interface induced uniaxial magnetic anisotropy is oriented along one of the in-plane <100>, rather than <110>, as is the case in molecular beam epitaxy—grown films. Resonant x-ray measurements show interfacial magnetic disorder in films on Al0.1Ga0.9As, which accounts for the difference in magnetic anisotropy behavior between samples on Al0.1Ga0.9As and Al0.1Ga0.9As/GaAs epilayer substrates, and which may have significant consequences for the spin-injection efficiency across such interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The observed magnetotransport properties of magnetically coupled multilayers depends not only on the nature of the magnetic coupling but also the magnetic domain correlations and disorder. Neutron scattering gives access to the magnetic coupling through the specular reflectivity and the domain correlations through the diffuse scattering. Sputtered multilayers of Co/Cu and Co/Ru have been investigated as a function of the applied magnetic field. A simple domain model relates the observed scattering to the domain correlation length and the magnetic disorder. In both systems highly vertically correlated magnetic domains are observed with in-plane correlation lengths, at remanence, of 1.5 and 7 μm for the Cu and Ru systems, respectively. In both systems the Co domains order antiferromagnetically across the nonmagnetic spacer. The remanent vertically correlated state is recovered after saturating the sample. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present measurements on hybrid ferromagnetic/semiconductor devices. Single, submicron ferromagnetic structures have been fabricated directly onto the surface of a semiconductor, which incorporates a near-surface two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). The induced Hall resistance and magnetoresistance of the 2DEG are used to measure the magnetic properties of the stripes directly. The relative merits of these two techniques are compared using a device geometry in which both types of measurement can be made simultaneously. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]