We investigated a giant magnetoresistance (MR) effect of two-dimensional electron gas systems subjected to a periodically modulated magnetic field. It is found that the MR ratio of such a periodically modulated system shows strong dependence on the space between the magnetic potentials. With the increase in the number of periods, the maximal MR ratio tends to be enhanced and the peak of the MR ratio locates at a specific relative Fermi energy for the given space between magnetic potentials. Moreover, the maximal MR ratio of odd-period configurations is always larger than that of even-period configurations.

• Received 7 July 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.70.115303