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Spin Torque Study of the Spin Hall Conductivity and Spin Diffusion Length in Platinum Thin Films with Varying Resistivity

Cornell Affiliated Author(s)

Author

Minh-Hai Nguyen
D. Ralph
Robert Buhrman

Abstract

We report measurements of the spin torque efficiencies in perpendicularly magnetized Pt/Co bilayers where the Pt resistivity ρPt is strongly dependent on thickness tPt. The dampinglike spin Hall torque efficiency per unit current density ξDLj varies significantly with tPt, exhibiting a peak value ξDLj=0.12 at tPt=2.8-3.9 nm. In contrast, ξDLj/ρPt increases monotonically with tPt and saturates for tPt>5 nm, consistent with an intrinsic spin Hall effect mechanism, in which ξDLj is enhanced by an increase in ρPt. Assuming the Elliott-Yafet spin scattering mechanism dominates, we estimate that the spin diffusion length λs=(0.77±0.08)×10-15 Ω·m2/ρPt. © 2016 American Physical Society.

Date Published

Journal

American Physical Society (APS)

Volume

116

Issue

12

URL

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84962669767&doi=10.1103%2fPhysRevLett.116.126601&partnerID=40&md5=2c62e75a05a6c2e4fef56ac9f3c7cc98

DOI

10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.126601

Funding Source

1542081

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