Current distribution inside Py/Cu lateral spin-valve device

Abstract

We have investigated experimentally the non-local voltage signal (NLVS) in the lateral permalloy (Py)/Cu/Py spin valve devices with different width of Cu stripes. We found that NLVS strongly depends on the distribution of the spin-polarized current inside Cu strip in the vicinity of the Py-detector. To explain these data we have developed a diffusion model describing spatial (3D) distribution of the spin-polarized current in the device. The results of our calculations show that NLVS is decreased by factor of 10 due to spin flip-scattering occurring at Py/Cu interface. The interface resistivity on Py/Cu interface is also present, but its contribution to reduction of NLVS is minor. We also found that most of the spin-polarized current is injected within the region 30 nm from Py-injector/Cu interface. In the area at Py-detector/Cu interface, the spin-polarized current is found to flow mainly close on the injector side, with 1/e exponential decay in the magnitude within the distance 80 nm.

10 pages, 14 figures

References in corpus (8)

• Spintronics: Fundamentals and applications
• Current-driven Magnetization Reversal and Spin Wave Excitations in Co/Cu/Co Pillars
• The origin of the matter-antimatter asymmetry
• Spin Injection and Detection in Magnetic Nanostructures
• Spin battery operated by ferromagnetic resonance
• Spin injection and spin accumulation in all-metal mesoscopic spin valves
• Universal angular magnetoresistance and spin torque in ferromagnetic/normal metal hybrids
• Spin accumulation induced resistance in mesoscopic ferromagnet/ superconductor junctions

Cited by in corpus (14)

• Spin-Diffusion Lengths in Metals and Alloys, and Spin-Flipping at Metal/Metal Interfaces: an Experimentalist's Critical Review
• Estimation of the spin polarization for Heusler-compound thin films by means of nonlocal spin-valve measurements: Comparison of Co${}_2$FeSi and Fe${}_3$Si
• Spin Seebeck Power Conversion
• Spin Seebeck power generators
• Lateral diffusive spin transport in layered structures
• 3-dimensional distribution of spin-polarized current: application to (Cu/Co) pillar structures
• A way to measure electron spin-flipping at F/N interfaces and application to Co/Cu
• Spin dependent transport characterization in metallic lateral spin valves using 1D and 3D modeling
• Imaging of lateral spin valves with soft X-ray microscopy
• Effect of ferromagnetic contacts on spin accumulation in an all-metallic lateral spin-valve system: Semiclassical spin drift-diffusion equations
• Spin injection from a ferromagnet into a semiconductor in the case of a rough interface
• Alternating current Hanle effect as poor man's paramagnetic resonance
• Geometrical effects on spin injection: 3D spin drift diffusion model
• Local injection of pure spin current generates electric current vortices