CORRELATION BETWEEN THE STRUCTURAL AND TRANSPORT-PROPERTIES OF AS-GROWN EPITAXIAL PHASE-SEPARATED CO-AG THIN-FILMS

Giant magnetoresistive Co-Ag granular films are prepared by molecular beam epitaxy at three different temperatures with cobalt concentration s ranging from 30 to 80 at. %. The structural properties of these film s are studied using a variety of diffraction techniques and real space probes. Magnetization and magnetotransport measurements are carried o ut at room temperature. Correlating the structural and magnetotranspor t properties reveals that the spin diffusion length strongly affects t he amplitude of the giant magnetoresistance, which is otherwise domina ted by the surface-to-volume ratio of the segregated magnetic precipit ates.