Litcius/Paper detail

Observation of Spin Splitting Torque in a Collinear Antiferromagnet <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:mrow><mml:msub><mml:mrow><mml:mi>RuO</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msub></mml:mrow></mml:math>

Hua Bai, L. Han, Xiaoyu Feng, Yongjian Zhou, Rongxuan Su, Qiao Wang, Liyang Liao, Wenxuan Zhu, X. Z. Chen, Feng Pan, Xiaolong Fan, Cheng Song

2022Physical Review Letters402 citationsDOIOpen Access PDF

Abstract

Current-induced spin torques provide efficient data writing approaches for magnetic memories. Recently, the spin splitting torque (SST) was theoretically predicted, which combines advantages of conventional spin transfer torque (STT) and spin-orbit torque (SOT) as well as enables controllable spin polarization. Here we provide the experimental evidence of SST in collinear antiferromagnet RuO_{2} films. The spin current direction is found to be correlated to the crystal orientation of RuO_{2} and the spin polarization direction is dependent on (parallel to) the Néel vector. These features are quite characteristic for the predicted SST. Our finding not only presents a new member for the spin torques besides traditional STT and SOT, but also proposes a promising spin source RuO_{2} for spintronics.

Topics & Concepts

SpintronicsAntiferromagnetismTorqueCondensed matter physicsSpin (aerodynamics)PhysicsSpin-transfer torqueSpin polarizationFerromagnetismQuantum mechanicsThermodynamicsMagnetic fieldMagnetizationElectronMagnetic properties of thin filmsAdvanced Memory and Neural ComputingMultiferroics and related materials