Inverse magnetoresistance in the simple spin-valve system Fe1-xVx/Au/Co.

Magnetoresistance (MR) measurements have been performed on Fe/Au/Co and ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{V}}_{\mathit{x}}$/Au/Co trilayers with perpendicular orientation of the magnetization of the thin ferromagnetic layers. While the MR is larger for an antiparallel arrangement of the magnetizations than for a parallel one in Fe/Au/Co (the usual spin-valve-type MR), an inverse spin-valve effect is observed in ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{V}}_{\mathit{x}}$/Au/Co. This inverse MR is attributed to an increase of the density of states at the Fermi level for majority-spin electrons when Fe is alloyed with V.