“All-Heusler alloy” current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistance

A materials system of ternary full Heusler alloys exhibiting substantial current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistance (CPP-GMR) has been theoretically proposed and experimentally realized. Observed trends in magnetoresistance are broadly consistent with the modeling results. A CPP-GMR of 6.7% and ΔRA of 4 mΩ μm2 have been demonstrated in the bottom spin-valve configuration. The spin-stand testing of narrow-track recording heads confirmed compatibility of these materials with hard disk drive reader technology.