Observation of spin-orbit effects with spin rotation symmetry

Published

October 13, 2017

Author(s)

Alisha Humphries, Tao Wang, Eric R. Edwards, Shane Allen, Justin Shaw, Hans Nembach, John Xiao, Thomas J. Silva

Abstract

The spin-orbit interaction in a nonmagnetic/magnetic multilayer has been intensively studied due to its efficient conversion between a spin current and a charge current. In the spin Hall/Rashba-Edelstein effects (SHE/REE) and inverse spin Hall/Rashba-Edelstein effects (ISHE/IREE), the charge current, spin current and spin directions are orthogonal to each other in the nonmagnetic material. Here we report the generation of the spin-orbit torque (SOT) and ISHE/IREE voltage in unconventional directions by replacing the nonmagnetic material with a magnetic metal. In a spin valve-like multilayer with orthogonal magnetization configurations, we observe SOTs on the in-plane magnetized layer in the direction that is rotated 90� from the conventional SOTs around the out-of-plane magnetization of the other magnetic layer. We further measure the ISHE/IREE generated by an out-of-plane temperature gradient in the same sample and observe the ISHE/IREE voltage with a similar rotated symmetry. These findings present interesting spin-orbit effects in magnetic multilayers and may have potential impact in the application of magnetic random-access memories.

Citation

Nature Communications

Volume

8

Issue

1

Pub Type

Journals

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DOI Link

Citation

Humphries, A. , Wang, T. , Edwards, E. , Allen, S. , Shaw, J. , Nembach, H. , Xiao, J. and Silva, T. (2017), Observation of spin-orbit effects with spin rotation symmetry, Nature Communications, [online], https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-00967-w (Accessed October 13, 2025)