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Conduction electron scattering and spin flipping at sputtered Co/Ni interfaces

H. Y. T. Nguyen, R. Acharyya, E. Huey, B. Richard, R. Loloee, W. P. Pratt, Jr., and J. Bass

Shuai Wang and Ke Xia

  • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA

  • Department of Physics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China

Phys. Rev. B 82, 220401(R) – Published 13 December, 2010

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.82.220401

Abstract

Current-perpendicular-to-plane magnetoresistance (CPP-MR) measurements let us quantify conduction electron scattering and spin flipping at a sputtered ferromagnetic/ferromagnetic (F1/F2=Co/Ni) interface, with important consequences for CPP-MR and spin-torque experiments with perpendicular anisotropy. We use ferromagnetically coupled [Ni/Co]nNi multilayers, and Py-based, symmetric double exchange-biased spin valves containing inserts of ferromagnetically coupled [Co/Ni]nCo or [Ni/Co]nNi multilayers, to derive Co/Ni interface specific resistances ARCo/Ni=0.030.03+0.02fΩm2 and ARCo/Ni=1.00±0.07fΩm2, and interface spin-flipping parameter δCo/Ni=0.35±0.05. The specific resistances are consistent with our no-free-parameter calculations for an interface thickness between 2 and 4 monolayers that is compatible with expectations.

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