LOW-FREQUENCY NOISE IN NIFE CU SPIN-VALVES

We report one of the first observations of low-frequency noise of NiFe /Cu spin-valves. Although the observed noise is very low irt compariso n to multilayer systems, if is; typically concentrated in the linear r esponse region where such devices are expected to operate. Increased n oise is also associated viith Barkhausen jumps in the magnetoresistanc e trace. In devices one micrometer high, structures start to appear in the noise spectra as a perturbation to the simple 1/f-like noise obse rved in larger devices.