Magnetoresistance analysis of nanoscale magnetic correlation in cosputtered Fe/sub 100-x/Ag/sub x/ films

Nanogranular films of composition Ag/sub 100-x/Fe/sub x/(x: 10, 14, 20, 26, 30 at %) were prepared by dc plasma sputtering deposition. All films exhibit a negative magnetoresistance whose intensity decreases monotonically with temperature, with no apparent saturation up to 50 kOe. A magnetic correlation range R/sub m/ is obtained from analysis of the GMR versus M/M/sub S/ curves. The role of interparticle correlation is investigated as a function of both Fe concentration and temperature.