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Electronic States in Magnetic Quantum Wells

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Abstract

We have searched for the electronic states that mediate oscillatory magnetic cou¬pling in superlattices, and have found strong evidence that these are quantum well states, which are created by quantizing the momentum of s,p-band states perpen¬dicular to the interfaces. The quantum well picture also explains how quantum well states in noble metals become spin-polarized, due to a spin-dependent electron reflectivity at the interface with the ferromagnet. The resulting implications for magnetoresistance are discussed.

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Acknoledgments

We would like to acknowledge M. D. Stiles for providing the band calculation results on Cr shown in Fig. 5.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, P.O. Box 218 Route 134, Yorktown Heights, NY, 10598, USA

    J. E. Ortega & F. J. Himpsel

  2. Physics Department, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    G. J. Mankey & R. F. Willis

Authors
  1. J. E. Ortega
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  2. F. J. Himpsel
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  3. G. J. Mankey
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  4. R. F. Willis
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Ortega, J.E., Himpsel, F.J., Mankey, G.J. et al. Electronic States in Magnetic Quantum Wells. MRS Online Proceedings Library 313, 143–151 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-313-143

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