Measurement of the Spin Absorption Anisotropy in Lateral Spin Valves
Maxen Cosset‐Chéneau, L. Vila, G. Zahnd, D. Gusakova, Van Tuong Pham, Cécile Grèzes, Xavier Waintal, A. Marty, H. Jaffrès, Jean‐Philippe Attané
Abstract
The spin absorption process in a ferromagnetic material depends on the spin orientation relative to the magnetization. Using a ferromagnet to absorb the pure spin current created within a lateral spin valve, we evidence and quantify a sizable orientation dependence of the spin absorption in Co, CoFe, and NiFe. These experiments allow us to determine the spin-mixing conductance, an elusive but fundamental parameter of the spin-dependent transport. We show that the obtained values cannot be understood within a model considering only the Larmor, transverse decoherence, and spin diffusion lengths, and rather suggest that the spin-mixing conductance is actually limited by the Sharvin conductance.