Ballistic magneto resistance in different nanocontact configurations:: a basis for future magnetoresistance sensors

We report ballistic magneto resistance (BMR) values in magnetic nanocontacts for Ni, Co, and Fe. The samples range from atomic nanocontacts (smaller than 1 nm cross-section) to stable electrodeposited nanocontacts (up to 30 nm cross-section). The experiments are done at room temperature and up to 4 kOe applied field. We obtain values of stable BMR up to 700%. By manipulating the resistance and the contact shape electrochemically in situ we can have any desired value of BMR. We also discuss BMR in Ni microclusters contacted through pinholes on thin oxides with nanometer thick Ni and Co films with BMR up to 15%. All the experiments show that the BMR is a very local effect of the size and shape of the nanocontact. In this respect 2D and 3D domain wall calculations are presented. The experiments reported here show that magnetic nanocontacts have potential for development of highly compacted sensor. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.