Effect of interfacial specular electron reflection on the anisotropic magnetoresistance of magnetic thin films

We investigated the effect of specular reflection on the anisotropic magnet oresistance (AMR) of magnetic thin films. The sheet conductance is calculat ed as a function of the angle between magnetization and current from the mi croscopic transport parameters by using an extension of the Fuchs-Sondheime r theory. The calculation combines specular reflection on the film interfac es with mean-free paths which depend on the angle between the local magneti zation and the electron velocity. The theoretical results are compared with experimental ones. Specular reflection can explain the quite large AMR amp litude observed in thin NiFe films used in the last generation of AMR heads . (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(00)09720-6].