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Disorder-Assisted Spin Filtering at Metal-Ferromagnet Interfaces: An Alternative Route to Anisotropic
1Queen's Universiy, Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy, Kingston, Canada.
Physical Review Letters
|June 7, 2026
Summary
Anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) in metal-ferromagnet bilayers originates from interfacial scattering, not bulk effects. A resonant spin-filtering mechanism at the interface explains AMR, challenging existing theories.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science
- Spintronics
Background:
- Anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) is a key phenomenon in spintronics.
- Existing theories often attribute AMR to bulk spin Hall and inverse spin Hall effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate AMR arising solely from interfacial scattering in metal-ferromagnet bilayers.
- To identify and characterize a novel interfacial spin-filtering mechanism.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a boundary-value formulation of the Boltzmann equation.
- Incorporated interfacial exchange and Rashba spin-orbit coupling.
- Developed a minimal theoretical model for interfacial scattering.
Main Results:
- Identified a resonant spin-filtering mechanism at clean interfaces.
- Quantitatively reproduced AMR magnitude, thickness dependence, and angular symmetry.
- Showed AMR scales linearly with interfacial exchange or spin-orbit coupling.
Conclusions:
- Interfacial spin filtering is a critical, overlooked origin of AMR in heterostructures.
- Results necessitate a reassessment of magnetotransport mechanisms in spin-orbit-coupled metals.
- The proposed mechanism offers testable experimental signatures related to interface quality and disorder.
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