Theory on the Temperature Dependence of Giant Magnetoresistance

Abstract

The temperature dependence of the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) for currents parallel and perpendicular to the multilayer plane, is discussed by taking account of the random exchange potentials, phonon scatterings and spin fluctuations. The effect of spin fluctuations, which plays an important role at finite temperatures, is included by means of the static functional-integral method developed previously by the present author. Our model calculations well explain the observed features of the parallel and perpendicular GMR of Fe/Cr and Co/Cu multilayers recently reported by Gijs {\it et al}.