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Metallic Multilayers: Discovery of Interlayer Exchange Coupling and GMR

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Handbook of Spintronics

Abstract

The role of magnetic multilayer structures for the emergence of spintronics is discussed. Initial studies of magnetic interactions mainly by Brillouin light scattering lead to the discovery of antiferromagnetic interlayer exchange coupling. The novel possibility to control the relative alignment of spins separated by only a few nanometers with an external magnetic field triggered the first observations of the giant magnetoresistance effect, which then became the cornerstone of spintronics. Both oscillatory interlayer exchange coupling and giant magnetoresistance are introduced, and a picture for their microscopic origin is presented.

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Abbreviations

AMR:

Anisotropic magnetoresistance

B:

Magnetic field

BLS:

Brillouin light scattering

CIP:

Current in plane

CPP:

Current-perpendicular plane

d 0 :

Thickness of spacer layers

d 1, d 2 :

Thickness of ferromagnetic layers

DE:

Damon-Eshbach

DOS:

Density of states

E F :

Fermi energy

E IEC :

IEC energy density

E n :

Discrete energy levels

FM:

Ferromagnetic

GMR:

Giant magnetoresistance

H EB :

Exchange bias field

IEC:

Interlayer exchange coupling

J 1 :

Bilinear IEC parameter

J 2 :

Biquadratic IEC parameter

k ⊥ :

Perpendicular momentum component

M :

Magnetization

MOKE:

Magneto-optical Kerr effect

N ↑(↓) :

Spin up (down) DOS at Fermi level

NM:

Nonmagnetic

q :

Wave vector

Q :

Critical spanning vector

QWS:

Quantum well states

RKKY:

Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida

r maj(min) :

Resistance of majority (minority) channel

R P(AP) :

Resistance for parallel (antiparallel) alignment

SEMPA:

Scanning electron microscopy with spin analysis

β :

Scattering spin asymmetry parameter

θ :

Angle between magnetizations

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Peter Grünberg Institute, Electronic Properties (PGI-6), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428, Jülich, Germany

    Peter Grünberg & Daniel E. Bürgler

Authors
  1. Peter Grünberg
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  2. Daniel E. Bürgler
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Peter Grünberg or Daniel E. Bürgler .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. York-Nanjing International Center of Spintronics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

    Yongbing Xu

  2. Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    David D. Awschalom

  3. Department of Materials Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan

    Junsaku Nitta

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Grünberg, P., Bürgler, D.E. (2016). Metallic Multilayers: Discovery of Interlayer Exchange Coupling and GMR. In: Xu, Y., Awschalom, D., Nitta, J. (eds) Handbook of Spintronics. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6892-5_6

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