Letter abstract
Nature Physics 4, 851 - 854 (2008)
Published online: 5 October 2008 | doi:10.1038/nphys1095
Subject Categories: Condensed-matter physics | Quantum physics | Electronics, photonics and device physics
Giant spin-accumulation signal and pure spin-current-induced reversible magnetization switching
Tao Yang1, Takashi Kimura1,2 & Yoshichika Otani1,2
A number of proposed next-generation electronic devices, including novel memory elements1 and versatile transistor circuits2, rely on spin currents, that is, the flow of electron angular momentum. A spin current may interact with a magnetic nanostructure and give rise to spin-dependent transport phenomena, or excite magnetization dynamics1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. In contrast to a spin-polarized charge current, a pure spin current does not produce any charge-related spurious effects12, 13. One way to produce a pure spin current is non-local electrical-spin injection12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, but this approach has suffered so far from low injection efficiency. Here, we demonstrate a significant enhancement of the non-local injection efficiency in a lateral spin valve prepared with an entirely in situ fabrication process. Improvements to the interface quality and the device structure lead to an increase of the spin-signal amplitude by an order of magnitude. The generated pure spin current enables the magnetization reversal of a nanomagnet with the same efficiency as in the case of using charge currents. These results are important for further theoretical developments in multi-terminal structures2, but also with a view towards realizing novel devices driven by pure spin currents.
- Advanced Science Institute, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Institute for Solid State Physics, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581, Japan
Correspondence to: Yoshichika Otani1,2 e-mail: yotani@issp.u-tokyo.ac.jp
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