Angular dependence of spin-orbit spin-transfer torques

Published

April 6, 2015

Author(s)

Ki-Sueng Lee, Dongwook Go, Aurelien Manchon, Paul M. Haney, Mark D. Stiles, Hyun-Woo Lee, Kyung Jin Lee

Abstract

In ferromagnet/heavy metal bilayers, an in-plane current gives rise to spin-orbit spin transfer torques. For two-dimensional free-electron and tight-binding models with Rashba spin-orbit coupling, these torques acquire nontrivial dependence on the magnetization direction when the Rashba spin-orbit coupling becomes comparable to the exchange interaction. This nontrivial angular dependence is related to the Fermi surface distortion, which is determined by the ratio of the Rashba spin-orbit coupling to the exchange interaction. The angular dependence is consistent with experimental observations and can be important to understand magnetization dynamics induced by spin-orbit spin transfer torques.

Citation

Physical Review B

Volume

91

Issue

14

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.91.144401

Local Download

Keywords

spin transfer torques, spin-orbit coupling, Rashba model, magnetization dynamics, domain wall motion, magnetic switching

Citation

Lee, K. , Go, D. , Manchon, A. , Haney, P. , Stiles, M. , Lee, H. and Lee, K. (2015), Angular dependence of spin-orbit spin-transfer torques, Physical Review B, [online], https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.91.144401, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=916432 (Accessed October 20, 2025)