A method and system for providing a spin valve for use in a magnetoresistive head is disclosed. The method and system include providing a synthetic pinned layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, and a free layer. The free layer has a first magnetization canted from a first direction by a first angle. The nonmagnetic spacer layer is disposed between the free layer and the synthetic pinned layer. The synthetic pinned layer has a second magnetization in a second direction. The second direction is canted from a third direction that is transverse to the first direction by a second angle. The second magnetization is substantially orthogonal to the first magnetization.