Calculation of the temperature dependence of the giant mr and application to Co/Cu multilayers

Abstract

Most theoretical models of the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) in metallic magnetic multilayers developed up to now are for the zero-temperature limit, thus neglecting the spin-flip scattering arising from spin fluctuations (magnons), as well as other scatterings from thermal excitations. To account for the temperature dependence of the GMR, we have introduced electron-magnon and electron-phonon scattering terms in a Camley-Bamas-like semi-classical model. We apply our calculation to the interpretation of the temperature dependence of the resistivity and GMR in Co/Cu.