Enhanced spin–orbit torques by oxygen incorporation in tungsten films
Top Cited Papers
Open Access
- 25 February 2016
- journal article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Nature Communications
- Vol. 7 (1), 10644
- https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms10644
Abstract
The origin of spin-orbit torques, which are generated by the conversion of charge-to-spin currents in non-magnetic materials, is of considerable debate. One of the most interesting materials is tungsten, for which large spin-orbit torques have been found in thin films that are stabilized in the A15 (β-phase) structure. Here we report large spin Hall angles of up to approximately -0.5 by incorporating oxygen into tungsten. While the incorporation of oxygen into the tungsten films leads to significant changes in their microstructure and electrical resistivity, the large spin Hall angles measured are found to be remarkably insensitive to the oxygen-doping level (12-44%). The invariance of the spin Hall angle for higher oxygen concentrations with the bulk properties of the films suggests that the spin-orbit torques in this system may originate dominantly from the interface rather than from the interior of the films.Keywords
This publication has 50 references indexed in Scilit:
- Spin–orbit torques in actionNature Nanotechnology, 2014
- Spin-Torque Switching with the Giant Spin Hall Effect of TantalumScience, 2012
- Current-induced spin–orbit torquesPhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 2011
- Perpendicular switching of a single ferromagnetic layer induced by in-plane current injectionNature, 2011
- Spin-Torque Ferromagnetic Resonance Induced by the Spin Hall EffectPhysical Review Letters, 2011
- Theory of spin torque due to spin-orbit couplingPhysical Review B, 2009
- Theory of nonequilibrium intrinsic spin torque in a single nanomagnetPhysical Review B, 2008
- Observation of the Spin Hall Effect in SemiconductorsScience, 2004
- Spin Hall Effect in the Presence of Spin DiffusionPhysical Review Letters, 2000
- Spin Hall EffectPhysical Review Letters, 1999