Variation of multilayer magnetoresistance with ferromagnetic layer sequence: Spin-memory loss effects

We find the magnetoresistance (MR) with current flow perpendicular to the layer planes (CPP-MR) of multilayers made of the ferromagnetic metals Co and Py (permalloy=Ni84Fe16) and the nonmagnetic metal Ag to vary with the Co and Py layer sequencing. That is, [Co/Ag/Py/Ag](N) (type I) multilayers have larger MRs than [Co/Ag](N)[Py/Ag](N) (type II) ones, and the difference grows with the number of repeats N. We ascribe the differences to an apparent short spin-diffusion length in Py. Interestingly, similar differences appear also in the current in plane MR, probably due to finite mean-free paths in all three metals, plus interface scattering. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.