Spin-orbit-proximitized ferromagnetic metal by monolayer transition metal dichalcogenide: Atlas of spectral functions, spin textures and spin-orbit torques in Co/MoSe$_2$, Co/WSe$_2$ and Co/TaSe$_2$ heterostructures

TL;DR

This paper investigates how monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides induce strong spin-orbit effects in adjacent ferromagnetic Co layers, affecting electronic, spin textures, and spin-orbit torques, with implications for spintronic device optimization.

Contribution

It provides a first-principles analysis of proximity-induced spin-orbit effects in Co/TMD heterostructures, highlighting the impact of structural inversion asymmetry and identifying optimal material combinations for spintronics.

Findings

Proximity-induced spin-orbit splitting significantly alters Co electronic structure.

Switching on spin-orbit coupling in TMDs enhances effects in Co by about five times.

The Co/WSe₂ heterostructure is identified as optimal for spintronic applications.

Abstract

The bilayer heterostructures composed of an ultrathin ferromagnetic metal (FM) and a material hosting strong spin-orbit (SO) coupling are principal resource for SO torque and spin-to-charge conversion nonequilibrium effects in spintronics. We demonstrate how hybridization of wavefunctions of Co layer and a monolayer of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs)---such as semiconducting MoSe$_2$ and WSe$_2$ or metallic TaSe$_2$---can lead to dramatic transmutation of electronic and spin structure of Co within some distance away from its interface with TMD, when compared to the bulk of Co or its surface in contact with vacuum. This is due to proximity induced SO splitting of Co bands encoded in the spectral functions and spin textures on its monolayers, which we obtain using noncollinear density functional theory (ncDFT) combined with equilibrium Green function (GF) calculations. In fact, SO splitting is present due to structural inversion asymmetry of the bilayer even if SO coupling within TMD monolayer is artificially switched off in ncDFT calculations, but switching it on makes the effects associated with proximity SO coupling within Co layer about five times larger. Injecting spin-unpolarized charge current through SO-proximitized monolayers of Co generates nonequilibrium spin density over them, so that its cross product with the magnetization of Co determines SO torque. The SO torque computed via first-principles quantum transport methodology, which combines ncDFT with nonequilibrium GF calculations, can be used as the screening parameter to identify optimal combination of materials and their interfaces for applications in spintronics. In particular, we identify heterostructure two-monolayer-Co/monolayer-WSe$_2$ as the most optimal.