Giant magnetoresistance and oscillation in epitaxial Fe/Cr(111) multilayers

We report on the first studies of the giant magnetoresistance and oscillatory coupling in epitaxial Fe/Cr(111) multilayers. A series of samples were grown on hydrogen terminated Si(111) substrates at room temperature by UHV electron beam evaporation; with the thickness of Fe layer fixed at 30 angstrom, and the thickness of Cr layer varied from 10-47 angstrom. Giant magnetoresistance (GMR) is observed at 4.2 K in these samples, with a maximum value of 13% for a Cr layer thickness of 13 angstrom. The associated oscillatory coupling is comparable to that reported in other crystallographic orientations in terms of both its period and phase.