Large tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance in (Ga,Mn)As nanoconstrictions

Abstract

We report a large tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance (TAMR) in a thin (Ga,Mn)As epilayer with lateral nanoconstrictions. The observation establishes the generic nature of this effect, which originates from the spin-orbit coupling in a ferromagnet and is not specific to a particular tunnel device design. The lateral geometry allows us to link directly normal anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) and TAMR. This indicates that TAMR may be observable in other materials showing a comparable AMR at room temperature, such as transition metal alloys.

4 pages, 4 figures