0000000000300208
AUTHOR
Henk J. M. Swagten
Evidence for phonon skew scattering in the spin Hall effect of platinum
We measure and analyze the effective spin Hall angle of platinum in the low-residual resistivity regime by second-harmonic measurements of the spin-orbit torques for a multilayer of $\mathrm{Pt}|\mathrm{Co}|{\mathrm{AlO}}_{x}$. An angular-dependent study of the torques allows us to extract the effective spin Hall angle responsible for the damping-like torque in the system. We observe a strikingly nonmonotonic and reproducible temperature dependence of the torques. This behavior is compatible with recent theoretical predictions which include both intrinsic and extrinsic (impurities and phonons) contributions to the spin Hall effect at finite temperatures.
Role of top and bottom interfaces of a Pt/Co/AlOx system in Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, interface perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, and magneto-optical Kerr effect
We investigate the role of top and bottom interfaces in inversion symmetry-breaking Pt/Co/AlOx systems by inserting ultra-thin Cu layers. Wedge-type ultrathin Cu layers (0-0.5 nm) are introduced between Pt/Co or Co/AlOx interfaces. Interface sensitive physical quantities such as the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (iDMI) energy density, the interfacial perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (iPMA), and the magneto-optical Kerr effects (MOKE) are systematically measured as a function of Cu-insertion layer thickness. We find that the Cu-insertion layer in the bottom interface (Pt/Co) plays a more important role in iDMI, PMA, and MOKE. In contrast, the top interface (Co/AlOx) noticeab…
Dynamics and inertia of skyrmionic spin structures
Understanding the motion of magnetic skyrmions is essential if they are to be used as information carriers in devices. It is now shown that topological confinement endows the skyrmions with an unexpectedly large mass, which plays a key role in their dynamics.
Synchronous precessional motion of multiple domain in a ferromagnetic nanowire by perpendicular field pulses
Magnetic storage and logic devices based on magnetic domain wall motion rely on the precise and synchronous displacement of multiple domain walls. The conventional approach using magnetic fields does not allow for the synchronous motion of multiple domains. As an alternative method, synchronous current-induced domain wall motion was studied, but the required high-current densities prevent widespread use in devices. Here we demonstrate a radically different approach: we use out-of-plane magnetic field pulses to move in-plane domains, thus combining field-induced magnetization dynamics with the ability to move neighbouring domain walls in the same direction. Micromagnetic simulations suggest …
Dynamics and topological mass of skyrmionic spin structures (presentation video)
Skyrmions are topologically protected particle-like configurations, with a topological complexity described by their Skyrmion number. In magnetic systems, they have been numerically predicted to exhibit rich dynamics, such as the gyrotropic and breathing modes, dominated by their topology. Recent experimental advances brought their static manipulation well under control. However, their dynamical behaviour is largely unexplored experimentally. In this work, we provide with the first direct observation of eigenmode skyrmion dynamics. In particular, we present dynamical imaging data with high temporal and spatial resolution to demonstrate the GHz gyrotropic mode of a single skyrmion bubble, as…
Off-stoichiometry in Co2FeSi thin films sputtered from stoichiometric targets revealed by nuclear magnetic resonance
Co2FeSi is predicted to be a half-metallic ferromagnet with an extraordinary high magnetic moment and Curie temperature. However, a low tunnel magneto-resistance ratio, a lower spin polarization and a lower magnetic moment were experimentally observed in thin film samples. Consequently, thin Co2FeSi films of different groups were studied using spin-echo nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). NMR probes the local hyperfine fields of the active atoms, which strongly depend on the local environment. NMR is thus able to reveal the next neighbouring shells of the Co-59 nuclei in the Co2FeSi thin films. As expected, our NMR study shows the main resonance line corresponding to Co-59 nuclei in the L2(1)…
Ferromagnetic layer thickness dependence of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and spin-orbit torques in Pt\Co\AlOx
We report the thickness dependence of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) and spin-orbit torques (SOTs) in Pt\Co(t)\AlOx, studied by current-induced domain wall (DW) motion and second-harmonic experiments. From the DW motion study, a monotonous decay of the effective DMI strength with an increasing Co thickness is observed, in agreement with a DMI originating at the Pt\Co interface. The study of the ferromagnetic thickness dependence of spin-orbit torques reveals a more complex behavior. The effective SOT-field driving the DW motion is found to initially increase and then saturate with an increasing ferromagnetic thickness, while the effective SOT-fields acting on a saturated magnetic s…