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First-principles calculations of electrical conductivity and giant magnetoresistance of Co{vert_bar}Cu{vert_bar}Co spin valves

Description/Abstract

We show that the Kubo formula can be used to calculate the nonlocal electrical conductivity of layered systems from first principles. We use the layer Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker method to calculate the electronic structure and Green function of a slab of copper embedded in cobalt. The electronic structure is calculated self-consistently within the local density approximation to density functional theory. We use the Green function to evaluate the Kubo formula and calculate the conductivity for both majority and minority spins and for alignment and antialignment of the Co moments on either side of the Cu spacer layers. This allows us to determine the giant magnetoresistance from first principles. We investigate three possibilities for the scattering in Co{vert_bar}Cu{vert_bar}Co: (i) equal electron lifetimes for Cu, majority-spin Co, and minority-spin Co, (ii) equal electron lifetimes for majority and minority Co, weaker scattering in Cu, and spin-dependent interfacial scattering, (iii) electron lifetimes for majority- and minority-spin cobalt proportional to their Fermi energy densities of states, spin-dependent interfacial scattering, and spin-independent boundary scattering.

Authors: Butler, W.H.; Zhang, X.; Nicholson, D.M.C. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6114 (United States)]; MacLaren, J.M. [Department of Physics, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 (United States)]
Publication Date:1995 Nov 01
OSTI Identifier: 122332
DOE Contract Number:AC05-84OR21400
Resource Type:Journal Article
Resource Relation:Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; Journal Volume: 52; Journal Issue: 18; Other Information: PBD: 1 Nov 1995
Research Org:Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Country of Publication:United States
Language:English
Format: Size: pp. 13399-13410
Other Number(s):Journal ID: PRBMDO; ISSN 0163-1829; TRN: 9521M0096
Subject:36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; COBALT; MAGNETORESISTANCE; COPPER; ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY; ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE; GREEN FUNCTION; INTERFACES; KUBO FORMULA; SCATTERING
Update Date:2009 Dec 16

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