Strong variation of spin-orbit torques with relative spin relaxation rates in ferrimagnets

Abstract

Spin-orbit torques (SOTs) have been widely understood as an interfacial transfer of spin that is independent of the bulk properties of the magnetic layer. Here, we report that SOTs acting on ferrimagnetic FexTb1-x layers decrease and vanish upon approaching the magnetic compensation point because the rate of spin transfer to the magnetization becomes slower than the rate of spin relaxation into the crystal lattice due to spin-orbit scattering. These results indicate that the relative rates of competing spin relaxation processes within magnetic layers play a critical role in determining the strength of SOTs, which provides a unified understanding for the diverse and even seemingly puzzling SOT phenomena in ferromagnetic and compensated systems. Our work indicates that spin-orbit scattering within the magnet should be minimized for efficient SOT devices. We also find that the interfacial spin-mixing conductance of interfaces of ferrimagnetic alloys (such as FexTb1-x) is as large as that of 3d ferromagnets and insensitive to the degree of magnetic compensation.

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• Microscopic mechanisms of Strong Electron Scattering and Giant Anomalous Hall Effect in high-Curie-temperature Fe3GaTe2 van der Waals Films
• Linear Enhancement of Spin-Orbit Torques and Absence of Bulk Rashba-Type Spin Splitting in Perpendicularly Magnetized [Pt/Co/W]n Superlattices
• Giant coercivity, resistivity upturn, and anomalous Hall effect in ferrimagnetic FeTb
• Enhancing z spin generation in trivial spin Hall materials for scalable, energy-efficient, field-free, complete spin-orbit torque switching applications
• Orthogonal Spin-Orbit Torque-Induced Deterministic Switching in NiO
• Anomalous switching pattern in the ferrimagnetic memory cell