Spin relaxation characteristics in Ag nanowire covered with various oxides

Abstract

We have studied spin relaxation characteristics in a Ag nanowire covered with various oxide layers of Bi2O3, Al2O3, HfO2, MgO or AgOx by using non-local spin valve structures. The spin-flip probability, a ratio of momentum relaxation time to spin relaxation time at 10 K, exhibits a gradual increase with an atomic number of the oxide constituent elements, Mg, Al, Ag and Hf. Surprisingly the Bi2O3 capping was found to increase the probability by an order of magnitude compared with other oxide layers. This finding suggests the presence of an additional spin relaxation mechanism such as Rashba effect at the Ag/Bi2O3 interface, which cannot be explained by the simple Elliott-Yafet mechanism via phonon, impurity and surface scatterings. The Ag/Bi2O3 interface may provide functionality as a spin to charge interconversion layer.

11pages, 1table, and 3figures

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Experimental observation of spin to charge current conversion at non-magnetic metal/Bi2O3 interfaces
• Ballistic spin transport in the presence of interfaces with strong spin-orbit coupling
• Phenomenological model for the direct and inverse Edelstein effects
• Boundary conditions for spin and charge diffusion in the presence of interfacial spin-orbit coupling
• Nonreciprocal superconducting transport and the spin Hall effect in gyrotropic structures
• Spin-orbit induced equilibrium spin currents in materials
• Detection of the interfacial exchange field at a ferromagnetic insulator-nonmagnetic metal interface with pure spin currents
• Anisotropic Spin Relaxation Induced by Surface Spin-Orbit Effects