Interface-generated spin currents

Published

September 26, 2018

Author(s)

Vivek P. Amin, Jan Zemen, Mark D. Stiles

Abstract

Transport calculations based on ab-initio band structures reveal large interface-generated spin currents at Co/Pt, Co/Cu, and Pt/Cu interfaces. These spin currents are driven by in-plane electric fields but flow out-of-plane, and can have similar strengths to spin currents generated by the spin Hall effect in bulk Pt. Each interface generates spin currents with polarization along $\zhat \times \threevec{E}$, where $\zhat$ is the interface normal and $\threevec{E}$ denotes the electric field. The Co/Cu and Co/Pt interfaces additionally generate spin currents with polarization along $\mhat \times (\zhat \times \threevec{E})$, where $\mhat$ gives the magnetization direction of Co. The latter spin polarization is controlled by---but not aligned with---the magnetization, providing a novel mechanism for generating spin torques in magnetic trilayers.

Citation

Physical Review Letters

Volume

121

Issue

13

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.136805

Keywords

Spintronics, Spin current, Spin-orbit torque, Magnetic memories

Citation

Amin, V. , Zemen, J. and Stiles, M. (2018), Interface-generated spin currents, Physical Review Letters, [online], https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.136805 (Accessed October 10, 2025)