Observation of Anti-Damping Spin-Orbit Torques Generated by In-Plane and Out-of-Plane Spin Polarizations in MnPd3

Published

December 16, 2020

Author(s)

Mahendra DC, Ding-Fu Shao, Vincent D.-H. Hou, Patrick Quarterman, Ali Habiboglu, Brooks Venuti, Masashi Miura, Brian Kirby, Arturas Vailionis, Chong Bi, Xiang Li, Fen Xue, Yen-Lin Huang, Yong Deng, Shy-Jay Lin, Wilman Tsai, Serena Eley, Weigang Wang, Julie A. Borchers, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, Shan X. Wang

Abstract

High spin-orbit torques (SOTs) generated by topological materials and heavy metals interfaced with a ferromagnetic layer show promise for next generation magnetic memory and logic devices. SOTs generated from the in-plane spin polarization along y-axis originated by the spin Hall and Edelstein effects can switch magnetization collinear with the spin polarization in the absence of external magnetic fields. However, an external magnetic field is required to switch the magnetization along x and z-axes via SOT generated by y-spin polarization. Here, we present that the above limitation can be circumvented by unconventional SOT in magnetron-sputtered thin film MnPd₃. In addition to the conventional in-plane anti-damping-like torque due to the y- spin polarization, out-of-plane and in-plane anti-damping-like torques originating from z-spin and x-spin polarizations, respectively have been observed at room temperature. The spin torque efficiency (θ_y) corresponding to the y-spin polarization from MnPd₃ thin films grown on thermally oxidized silicon substrate and post annealed at 400 ° is 0.34 - 0.44 while the spin conductivity (ς^y_zx) is 5.70 ? 7.30x 10⁵ h-bar}?2e Ω}^{- 1}m^-1. Remarkably, we have demonstrated complete external magnetic field-free switching of perpendicular Co layer via unconventional out-of-plane anti-damping-like torque from z-spin polarization. Based on the density functional theory calculations, we determine that the observed x- and z- spin polarizations with the in-plane charge current are due to the low symmetry of the (114) oriented MnPd₃ thin films. Taken together, the new material reported here provides a path to realize a practical spin channel in ultrafast magnetic memory and logic devices.

Citation

arXiv

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

Polarized neutron reflectometry, spintronics, magnetism, antiferromagnetics

Citation

DC, M. , Shao, D. , Hou, V. , Quarterman, P. , Habiboglu, A. , Venuti, B. , Miura, M. , Kirby, B. , Vailionis, A. , Bi, C. , Li, X. , Xue, F. , Huang, Y. , Deng, Y. , Lin, S. , Tsai, W. , Eley, S. , Wang, W. , Borchers, J. , Tsymbal, E. and Wang, S. (2020), Observation of Anti-Damping Spin-Orbit Torques Generated by In-Plane and Out-of-Plane Spin Polarizations in MnPd₃, arXiv (Accessed April 16, 2024)