CALCULATION OF THE TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENCE OF THE GIANT MR AND APPLICATION TO CO CU MULTILAYERS/

Most theoretical models of the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) in metall ic magnetic multilayers developed up to now are for the zero-temperatu re limit, thus neglecting the spin-flip scattering arising from spin f luctuations (magnons), as well as other scatterings from thermal excit ations. To account for the temperature dependence of the GMR, we have introduced electron-magnon and electron-phonon scattering terms in a C amley-Barnas-like semi-classical model. We apply our calculation to th e interpretation of the temperature dependence of the resistivity and GMR in Co/Cu.