IrMn基反铁磁自旋阀的巨磁电阻效应

用第一性原理方法研究了在微观尺度具有三重对称磁结构的IrMn合金的反铁磁自旋阀(AFSV)的电子输运.研究表明:基于有序L1₂相IrMn合金的Co/Cu/IrMn自旋阀的巨磁电阻(GMR)效应具有三重对称性,可以利用这一特性区分反铁磁材料的GMR与传统铁磁材料的GMR.基于无序γ相IrMn合金的IrMn(0.84 nm)/Cu(0.42 nm)/IrMn(0.42 nm)/Cu(0.42 nm)(111) AFSV的电流平行平面构型的GMR约为7.7％,大约是电流垂直平面构型的GMR(3.4％)的两倍,明显大于实验中观测到的基于共线磁结构的FeMn基AFSV的GMR.关键词：反铁磁自旋阀巨磁电阻效应非共线磁结构电流平行平面结构

Giant magnetoresistance in IrMn based antiferromagnetic spin valve

According to the parameter-free first principles calculations, we investigate the spin polarized transport in antiferromagnetic spin valve (AFSV) based on noncollinear IrMn. The giant magnetoresistance (GMR) in Co/IrMn/Cu(111) with L1₂-type IrMn shows three-fold rotational symmetry, which is easy to be distinguished from the GMR of normal ferromagnetic spin valves. Moreover, GMR based on γ-phase IrMn with current-in-plane (CIP) structure shows that GMR is 7.7%, around two time larger than that in current-pendicular-to-plane (CPP) structure (3.4%). Our study demonstrates that the AFSV CIP structure possesses a larger GMR effect than the CPP structure, and the GMR effect in AFSV based on noncollinear antiferromagnetic structure is larger than that based on collinear antiferromagnetic structure such as FeMn.