Magnetoresistance of Multilayers

Very large magnetoresistance (MR) effects, caused by spin-dependent electron scattering, have been found in magnetic multilayer films. The resistivity increases remarkably in cases where the magnetization of adjacent layers are antiparallel. Antiparallel magnetization may result from antiferromagnetic interlayer coupling or from differences in coercive fields. Experimental results on the MR properties of multilayer films are surveyed.