Resilience of the Spin-Orbit Torque against Geometrical Backscattering

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that the field-like spin-orbit torque remains effective despite geometrical backscattering effects, ensuring device miniaturization does not compromise spin-torque switching performance.

Contribution

It shows that geometrical backscattering does not degrade the effectiveness of spin-orbit torque, highlighting its robustness for smaller device geometries.

Findings

Spin-orbit torque resilience against geometrical effects

Backscattering does not impair spin-torque switching

Device size reduction remains feasible without loss of performance

Abstract

We show in this paper that the technologically relevant field-like spin-orbit torque shows resilience against the geometrical effect of electron backscattering. As device grows smaller in sizes, the effect of geometry on physical properties like spin torque, and hence switching current could place a physical limit on the continued shrinkage of such device -- a necessary trend of all memory devices (MRAM). The geometrical effect of curves has been shown to impact quantum transport and topological transition of Dirac and topological systems. In our work, we have ruled out the potential threat of line-curves degrading the effectiveness of spin-orbit torque switching. In other words, spin-orbit torque switching will be resilient against the influence of curves that line the circumferences of defects in the events of electron backscattering, which commonly happen in the channel of modern electronic devices.