Crystalline Orientation–Dependent Spin Hall Effect in Epitaxial Platinum

We report on the spin Hall effect in epitaxial Pt films with well-defined crystalline (200), (220), and (111) orientations and smooth surfaces. The magnitude of the spin Hall effect has been determined by spin–torque ferromagnetic resonance measurements on epitaxial Pt/Py heterostructures. We observed a 54% enhancement of the charge-to-spin conversion efficiency of the epitaxial Pt when currents are applied along the in-plane <002> direction. Temperature-dependent harmonic measurements on epitaxial Pt/Co/Ni heterostructures compared to a polycrystalline Pt/Co/Ni suggest the extrinsic mechanism underlying spin Hall effect in epitaxial Pt. Our work contributes to the development of energy-efficient spintronic devices by engineering the crystalline anisotropy of non-magnetic metals.

Observation of magnetic droplets in magnetic tunnel junctions

Magnetic droplets, a class of highly nonlinear magnetodynamic solitons, can be nucleated and stabilized in nanocontact spin-torque nano-oscillators. Here we experimentally demonstrate magnetic droplets in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). The droplet nucleation is accompanied by power enhancement compared with its ferromagnetic resonance modes. The nucleation and stabilization of droplets are ascribed to the double-CoFeB free-layer structure in the all-perpendicular MTJ, which provides a low Zhang-Li torque and a high pinning field. Our results enable better electrical sensitivity in fundamental studies of droplets and show that the droplets can be utilized in MTJ-based applications and materials science.

Spin Torque Oscillations Triggered by In-plane Field

We study the dynamics of a spin torque nano oscillator that consists of parallelly magnetized free and pinned layers by numerically solving the associated Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert-Slonczewski equation in the presence of a field-like torque. We observe that an in-plane magnetic field which is applied for a short interval of time ($<$1ns) triggers the magnetization to exhibit self-oscillations from low energy initial magnetization state. Also, we confirm that the frequency of oscillations can be tuned over the range $\sim$25 GHz to $\sim$72 GHz by current, even in the absence of field-like torque. We find the frequency enhancement up to 10 GHz by the presence of field-like torque. We determine the Q-factor for different frequencies and show that it increases with frequency. Our analysis with thermal noise confirms that the system is stable against thermal noise and the dynamics is not altered appreciably by it.

Junction size dependence of the heat controlled magnetic anisotropy in magnetic tunnel junctions

We investigated the heat controlled magnetic anisotropy (HCMA) in magnetic tunnel junctions with various junction sizes. We evaluated the HCMA from perpendicular magnetic anisotropy under a direct current voltage measured by the spin-torque diode technique. The maximum HCMA magnitude of 5.4 μJ (Wm)−1 was observed, and the HCMA increased with increasing diameter. Our results can be explained by a simple heat dissipation model and suggest that the in-plane heat current affects HCMA.

Easy-cone state in spin-torque diode under combined action of magnetostatics and perpendicular anisotropy

Spin-torque diodes (STDs) with interfacial perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (IPMA) in the free layer have outstanding microwave signal rectification performances. Large sensitivity values in such systems are usually associated with an easy cone (EC) magnetic state, when the magnetization in the free layer is tilted from the normal to the plane of the film. Here we theoretically investigate the phase diagram of the existence of an EC state in an infinite free layer of the magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) considering both IPMA (first and second order) and magnetostatic interaction. We show that the increase of the magnetostatic field leads to extension of the EC existence region. Then we consider the effect of finite dimensions in case of two differently spatially oriented elliptic nanopillar MTJ on the obtained phase diagrams. And finally, we consider dynamic properties and rectification of two elliptic STD under microwave current injection. These results clarify magnetostatic interaction influence on IPMA based STD rectification and demonstrate possible approach to extend the parameters area of the EC STD highly effective rectification.