Ab InitioCalculations of the Giant Magnetoresistance

Ab initio calculations are presented for the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) of Fe/Cr multilayers. The electronic structure of Fe/Cr superlattices is calculated within the spin density functional theory. The spin-dependent bulk impurity scattering is treated in a fully quantum mechanical way using a Green function formalism. The transport is described quasiclassically. The calculations suggest that the GMR in thin multilayers is mainly determined by the electronic structure of the layered system. Spin-dependent impurity scattering can reduce, increase, or invert the effect.