(1) CEA/Grenoble, Département de Recherche Fondamentale sur la Matière Condensée, SP2M/NM, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9, France, FR;(2) Moscow Lomonosov University, Department of Physics, Moscow, 119699, Russian Federation, RU
Abstract:
Discontinuous magnetic metal/insulator multilayers are formed of equally spaced layers of magnetic particles embedded in an
insulating matrix. Their electronic transport properties result from spin-polarized electron tunneling and Coulomb blockade
effect. The current-in-plane (CIP) and current-perpendicular-to plane (CPP) resistances change by several orders of magnitude
when the thicknesses of the metallic or insulating layers are varied. Calculations of the shape of the current lines in these
multilayers are presented. It is shown that pure CIP or CPP transport occur in these systems only when the CIP or CPP resistances
are very different in magnitude. If the two resistances are of the same order of magnitude, then the measured transport properties
in both geometries are a combination of CIP and CPP transport.
Received 9 October 2001