Temperature dependence of the spin-dependent scattering in Co/Cu multilayers determined from perpendicular-giant-magnetoresistance experiments

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Abstract
We have fabricated pillarlike microstructures in Co/Cu multilayers and measured the giant magnetoresistance effect with the current perpendicular to the multilayer plane from 4 K up to 300 K. We analyze the temperature dependence of the magnetoresistance, using a model of Fert and Campbell, originally proposed for magnetic alloys. We find that the temperature-dependent scattering rates are strongly spin dependent, which explains the relatively weak decrease with temperature of the giant magnetoresistance of Co/Cu.