Strong damping-like spin-orbit torque and tunable Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction generated by low-resistivity Pd$_{1-x}$Pt$_x$ alloys

TL;DR

This paper introduces Pd1-xPtx alloys as efficient, low-resistivity spin Hall materials with strong, tunable Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions, advancing energy-efficient spin-orbit torque applications and chiral spintronics.

Contribution

It reports a new alloy with high spin Hall ratio, low resistivity, and tunable DMI, enhancing spin current generation and control for spintronics.

Findings

Pd0.25Pt0.75 alloy has a spin Hall ratio >0.47.

Resistivity of the alloy is ~57.5 μΩ·cm.

DMI can be tuned by a factor of 5 through alloy composition.

Abstract

Despite their great promise for providing a pathway for very efficient and fast manipulation of magnetization at the nanoscale, spin-orbit torque (SOT) operations are currently energy inefficient due to a low damping-like SOT efficiency per unit current bias, and/or the very high resistivity of the spin Hall materials. Here, we report an advantageous spin Hall material, Pd1-xPtx, which combines a low resistivity with a giant spin Hall effect as evidenced through the use of three independent SOT ferromagnetic detectors. The optimal Pd0.25Pt0.75 alloy has a giant internal spin Hall ratio of >0.47 (damping-like SOT efficiency of ~ 0.26 for all three ferromagnets) and a low resistivity of ~57.5 {\mu}{\Omega} cm at 4 nm thickness. Moreover, we find the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), the key ingredient for the manipulation of chiral spin arrangements (e.g. magnetic skyrmions and chiral domain walls), is considerably strong at the Pd1-xPtx/Fe0.6Co0.2B0.2 interface when compared to that at Ta/Fe0.6Co0.2B0.2 or W/Fe0.6Co0.2B0.2 interfaces and can be tuned by a factor of 5 through control of the interfacial spin-orbital coupling via the heavy metal composition. This work establishes a very effective spin current generator that combines a notably high energy efficiency with a very strong and tunable DMI for advanced chiral spintronics and spin torque applications.