Perpendicular giant magnetoresistance of magnetic multilayers

Abstract

The theoretical and experimental studies of the giant magnetoresistance effect in metallic magnetic multilayers with measuring current perpendicular to the interface planes are reviewed. Theoretical formalisms of electronic transport in the inhomogeneous electron gas are critically compared with emphasis on the perpendicular magnetoresistance in multilayers. The effects of interface roughness, potential steps at the interfaces, and realistic band structures are addressed. The experimental determination of the perpendicular resistance of metallic multilayers requires either low-resistance measurement techniques or microfabricated samples with enhanced resistances. The experimental methods known at present are discussed and, where possible, compared with each other.