2006/02/06 by Arne Brataas, A BRATAAS, Gerrit E. W. Bauer +3 · 10 citations
Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Antiparallel (mathematics) #Ferromagnetism #Heusler alloys: electronic and magnetic properties #Magnetic properties of thin films #Magnetization #Quantum and electron transport phenomena #Scattering #Semiclassical physics #Spin (aerodynamics) #cond-mat.mes-hall #cond-mat.mtrl-sci
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.physrep.2006.01.001
163 pages, to be published in Physics Reports
arxiv created 2006/02/06 · openalex publication_date 2006/03/10 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The electron transport properties of hybrid ferromagnetic|normal metal structures such as multilayers and spin valves depend on the relative orientation of the magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic elements. Whereas the contrast in the resistance for parallel and antiparallel magnetizations, the so-called Giant Magnetoresistance, is relatively well understood for quite some time, a coherent picture for non-collinear magnetoelectronic circuits and devices has evolved only recently. We review here such a theory for electron charge and spin transport with general magnetization directions that is based on the semiclassical concept of a vector spin accumulation. In conjunction with first-principles calculations of scattering matrices many phenomena, e.g. the current-induced spin-transfer torque, can be understood and predicted quantitatively for different material combinations.