SPECULAR ELECTRON-SCATTERING IN GIANT MAGNETORESISTANCE SPIN VALVES

Specular scattering of electrons at the top surface of bottom spin val ves has been found to contribute to the giant magnetoresistance effect . The specular scattering can be increased bg the deposition of simila r to 2 monolayers (ML) of Au, Ag, or Cu, with the result that the GMR increases and the R-square decreases. The deposition of 2 ML of specie s that disorder the surface, such as Ta, Si, C, or N80F20, suppresses the specular scattering, This suppression appears to be useful as a ne w method for evaluating the importance of specular scattering.