Visualization of out-of-plane spin generation in mirror symmetry broken Co

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the detection and visualization of out-of-plane spins in sputtered Co layers, highlighting their dependence on various parameters and potential for industrial spintronic applications.

Contribution

It introduces a method to visualize out-of-plane spins in sputtered Co and explores their dependence on magnetization, current, and thickness, suggesting industrial relevance.

Findings

Out-of-plane spins depend on magnetization direction.

Spin generation varies with current density.

Amorphous sputtered Co is a promising spin source.

Abstract

Generating out-of-plane spins in sputtered materials holds immense potential for achieving field-free spin-orbit torque switching in practical applications and mass production. In this work, we present the detection of out-of-plane spins from single-layer ferromagnetic Co layers, which are visualized through helicity-dependent photomapping techniques. Our experiments have shown that out-of-plane spin generation is dependent on the magnetization direction, current density, and Co thickness. Our findings indicate that amorphous sputtered Co can be a promising candidate as an out-of-plane spin source material for industrial massive production.