Comparison of anistropic interface magnetoresistance in Co/Pt and Co/Pd multilayers

Abstract

We fabricate Co/Pt and Co/Pd multilayers and measure magnetoresistance. Our data show clear anisotropic interface magnetoresistance (AIMR) effect, in which the resistance variation shows a different sign from Co films when external magnetic saturation fields are rotated from in-plane transverse to perpendicular direction of the film plane. The AIMR percentages increase with decreasing Co thickness for both multilayers when the Co thickness is larger than 2.5 nm. However, the AIMR decreases in Co/Pt for thinner Co but still increases in Co/Pd, thus, showing inverse dependence to Co thickness.