Polarized Neutron Diffraction Studies of Fe/Cr Multilayered Films with Giant Magnetoresistance Effect

Magnetic structures and magnetization processes of [Fe(27 Å)/Cr(12 Å)] multilayered films are investigated by polarized neutron diffraction, polarization analysis and 57 Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. Transverse components of total magnetic moments of the ferromagnetic Fe layers, spaced by a Cr layer, to the applied field form an antiparallel long range order in the multilayers. The magnetization process of the total moment of the Fe layer is a uniform rotation of the Fe moment vector with keeping the magnitude constant except in a very low field region. The existence of non-zero magnetic moment is suggested in the Cr layer. The relationship between the antiferromagnetic alignment of the Fe layer moments and the change of the magnetoresistance in various applied fields is briefly discussed.