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Thermal spin-transfer torque driven by the spin-dependent Seebeck effect in metallic spin-valves

Nature Physics volume 11, pages 576–581 (2015)Cite this article

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Abstract

The coupling of spin and heat gives rise to new physical phenomena in nanoscale spin devices. In particular, spin-transfer torque (STT) driven by thermal transport provides a new way to manipulate local magnetization. We quantify thermal STT in metallic spin-valve structures using an intense and ultrafast heat current created by picosecond pulses of laser light. Our result shows that thermal STT consists of demagnetization-driven and spin-dependent Seebeck effect (SDSE)-driven components; the SDSE-driven STT becomes dominant after 3 ps. The sign and magnitude of the SDSE-driven STT can be controlled by the composition of a ferromagnetic layer and the thickness of a heat sink layer.

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Figure 1: Conceptual diagram.
Figure 2: Thermal analysis.
Figure 3: Spin accumulation in Cu.
Figure 4: STT on CoFeB at long timescales.
Figure 5: STT on CoFeB at short timescales.
Figure 6: The effect of SDSE on STT.

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Acknowledgements

TDTR and TR-MOKE measurements were carried out in the Laser and Spectroscopy Laboratory of the Materials Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Sample growth and VSM measurements were carried out at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). G-M.C. and D.G.C. were supported by the Army Research Office MURI W911NF-14-1-0016. C-H.M. and B-C.M. were supported by the KIST institutional program and the Pioneer Research Center Program of MSIP/NRF (2011-0027905). K-J.L. was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIP) (NRF-2013R1A2A2A01013188) and the KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology Program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA

    Gyung-Min Choi & David G. Cahill

  2. Center for Spintronics, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 136-791, Korea

    Gyung-Min Choi, Chul-Hyun Moon & Byoung-Chul Min

  3. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 136-701, Korea

    Chul-Hyun Moon & Kyung-Jin Lee

  4. KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul 136-701, Korea

    Kyung-Jin Lee

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  1. Gyung-Min Choi
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Contributions

G-M.C. designed the experiment with B-C.M., K-J.L. and D.G.C.; C-H.M. prepared samples and measured VSM data with the help of B-C.M.; G-M.C. measured TR-MOKE and TDTR data with the help of D.G.C.; G-M.C. analysed all data with the help of B-C.M., K-J.L. and D.G.C.; all authors discussed the results and wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Gyung-Min Choi or David G. Cahill.

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Choi, GM., Moon, CH., Min, BC. et al. Thermal spin-transfer torque driven by the spin-dependent Seebeck effect in metallic spin-valves. Nature Phys 11, 576–581 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys3355

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