Giant-magnetoresistance calculation for {l_brace}111{r_brace} Co/Cu/Co spin valves

Journal Article · Sun Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1998 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.58.11146· OSTI ID:663723

Brown, R H; Nicholson, D M; Butler, W H; Zhang, X; Shelton, W A; Schulthess, T C ^[1]; MacLaren, J M ^[2]

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1. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6114 (United States)
2. Department of Physics, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 (United States)

We calculate the canting-angle and thickness dependence of the current-in-plane giant magnetoresistance (GMR) of a system consisting of a copper slab between two cobalt slabs, where the canting angle is the angle between the magnetization vectors of the two cobalt slabs. We utilize the layer-Kohn-Korringa-Rostoker method to self-consistently calculate the electronic structure. Electron scattering by impurities, phonons, magnons, etc., is modeled with a layer- and spin-dependent complex self-energy. Scattering rates are chosen to match Cu and Co resistivities. The scattering rate for minority Co is assumed to be seven times larger than for majority Co, the same ratio as for the Fermi energy density of states in the two channels. The nonlocal layer-dependent conductivity is calculated using the Kubo-Greenwood formula. We find that the GMR decreases with copper thickness in a nonuniform manner due to changes in the behavior of waveguidelike modes in the copper slab. For fixed copper thickness the GMR dependence on costhinsp{theta}, where {theta} is the relative angle between the cobalt slabs magnetization directions, deviates from a linear dependence on costhinsp{theta}. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}

• OSTI ID: 663723
• Journal Information: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter, Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter Journal Issue: 17 Vol. 58; ISSN PRBMDO; ISSN 0163-1829
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
COBALT
COPPER
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
IMPURITIES
LAYERS
MAGNETORESISTANCE
SCATTERING
SPIN WAVES
THICKNESS