Emerging Spin-Orbit Torques in Low Dimensional Dirac Materials

TL;DR

This paper presents a theoretical analysis of novel spin-orbit torque components in two-dimensional Dirac materials, highlighting their unique properties, resilience to disorder, and potential to improve magnetic switching.

Contribution

It introduces new spin-orbit torque components specific to Dirac materials and explains their origin from spin-pseudospin coupling, differing from traditional metallic interfaces.

Findings

Intrinsic damping-like torque can be enhanced alongside field-like torque.

Unique torque components emerge from spin-pseudospin coupling.

Torques are resilient to disorder, potentially improving magnetic switching.

Abstract

We report a theoretical description of novel spin-orbit torque components emerging in two-dimensional Dirac materials with broken inversion symmetry. In contrast to usual metallic interfaces where field-like and damping-like torque components are competing, we find that an intrinsic damping-like torque which derives from all Fermi-sea electrons can be simultaneously enhanced along with the field-like component. Additionally, hitherto overlooked torque components unique to Dirac materials, emerge from the coupling between spin and pseudospin degrees of freedom. These torques are found to be resilient to disorder and could enhance the magnetic switching performance of nearby magnets.