Giant magnetoresistance in a two-dimensional electron gas modulated by magnetic barriers

The temperature-dependent giant magnetoresistance effect is investigated in a magnetically modulated two-dimensional electron gas, which can be realized by depositing two parallel ferromagnets on the top and bottom of a heterostructure. The effective potential for electrons arising for parallel magnetization allows the electrons to resonantly tunnel through the magnetic barriers, while this is excluded in the anti-parallel situation. Such a discrepancy results in a giant magnetoresistance ratio (MRR), which can be up to 10³¹%. The MRR shows a strong dependence on temperature, but our study indicates that for realistic parameters for a GaAs heterostructure the effect can be as high as 10⁴% at 4 K.