Flexible Spin Valves: Interlayer Interaction and Deformation Sensitivity

Exchange-coupled spin valves based on ferromagnetic alloys CoFeNi and antiferromagnetic alloy FeMn are obtained on flexible polyimide substrates by magnetron sputtering. The magnetoresistive properties of films and microstrips of spin valves are measured at various degrees of bending deformation of the sample. The behavior of the dependence of the deformation sensitivity of the spin valve on the interaction between the magnetic layers and on the arrangement of the anisotropy axes with respect to the deformation vector is characterized. It is found that the deformation sensitivity decreases with an increase in the interval between the fields of magnetization reversal of the free and fixed layers in the spin valve.