A way to measure electron spin-flipping at ferromagnetic/nonmagnetic interfaces and application to Co/Cu

作者：Dassonneville B^*; Acharyya R; Nguyen H Y T; Loloee R; Pratt W P Jr; Bass J

来源：Applied Physics Letters, 2010, 96(2): 022509.

DOI：10.1063/1.3292218

• cobalt
• copper
• exchange interactions (electron)
• ferromagnetic materials
• giant magnetoresistance
• iron alloys
• magnetic multilayers
• manganese alloys
• nickel alloys
• niobium
• spin dynamics
• spin valves

We describe a technique, using the current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) geometry, to measure the parameter delta(F/N), characterizing flipping of electron spins at a ferromagnetic (F)/nonmagnetic (N) metallic interface. The technique involves measuring the CPP magnetoresistance of a sample containing a ferromagnetically coupled [F/N](n) multilayer embedded within the 20 nm thick central Cu layer of a symmetric Py-based, double exchange-biased spin-valve. To focus on delta(F/N), the F- and N-layers are made thin compared to their spin-diffusion lengths. We test the technique using F/N=Co/Cu. Analyzing with no adjustable parameters, gives inconsistency with delta(Co/Cu)=0, but consistency with our prior value of delta(Co/Cu)=0.25 +/- 0.1. Taking delta(Co/Cu) as adjustable gives delta(Co/Cu)=0.33(-0.08)(+0.03).

• 出版日期2010-1-11