Interlayer coupling and magnetoresistance of multilayered structures

The spin polarization of conduction electrons in paramagnetic layers due to adjacent magnetic layers has been recently observed for copper spacer layers, and in a chromium wedge-like film on top of an iron whisker. Also, we explain the relation of this spin polarization to the indirect coupling of the magnetic layers through paramagnetic spacer layers. We show that the effect of spin-dependent potentials in magnetic multilayers is far more pronounced for CPP-MR than for CIP-MR. This can add to the difference between CIP-MR and CPP-MR that is due to the spin-dependent scattering in the multilayers.