Planar Hall effect in epitaxial thin films of magnetite

We measured the planar Hall effect (PHE) of magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)) films between 150 and 350 K. The PHE was measured both with a constant magnetic field rotating in the plane of the sample and in a remanent state after applying a field in specific directions. The PHE amplitude decreases with temperature; however, it changes little between 300 and 350 K. The remanent PHE signal is as high as 10 V/A, larger than previously observed in manganite films. We also measured the PHE in the remanent state and found that its magnitude and stability make it a viable candidate for magnetic random access memory applications. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.