Inverted current-driven switching in Fe(Cr)/Cr/Fe(Cr) nanopillars

Abstract

From both theory and experiment, scattering of minority electrons is expected to be weaker than scattering of majority electrons in both dilute Fe(Cr) alloys and at Fe(Cr)/Cr interfaces. We show that Fe(Cr)/Cr/Fe(Cr) trilayer nanopillars display a normal magnetoresistance--i.e., largest resistance at low magnetic fields and smallest at high fields, but an inverted current-driven switching--i.e., positive current flowing from the fixed to the reversing layer switches the trilayer from higher to lower resistance, and negative current switches it from lower to higher.

3 pages, 3 figs., accepted for J. Magn. Magn. Mat., MMM/Intermag Conf. 2004