The anomalous Hall effect

Abstract

The Hall effect is observed when a magnetic field is applied to a metal through which a current flows: The current carriers are deflected in the field, giving rise to a transverse electric field. In a ferromagnetic metal the embedded magnetic moments produce an anomalous Hall effect. Because it depends on both electronic and magnetic properties of the metal, the anomalous Hall effect has become a useful experimental tool for solid‐state physicists. In our laboratory in Jülich, for example, we have used the effect to study extremely thin magnetic layers and to observe the propagation of conduction electrons in a metal. Asymmetric scattering of current‐carrying electrons by magnetic atoms gives rise to a voltage that can serve as a sensitive and versatile measure of magnetic phenomena in metals.