Thermal And Spin-Orbital Effects Under The Action Of Current On Spin Valves Containing β-Ta and NiFeCr alloy layers

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Abstract

For microobjects based on spin valves, changes in the magnetic state are observed under the action of short-term direct current. It has been shown that the magnetic moment of the free layer rotates when a certain current density is attained. The rotation angle grows with increasing current density. The magnetic moment rotates predominantly due to the thermal effect of current. Rotation angle changes caused by spin accumulation in Ta or NiFeCr layers and the transfer of the spin-orbit torque of electrons to the magnetic moment of the free layer have been revealed.

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About the authors

L. I. Naumova

Mikheev Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences

Author for correspondence.
Email: naumova@imp.uran.ru
Russian Federation, Ekaterinburg

R. S. Zavornitsyn

Mikheev Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: naumova@imp.uran.ru
Russian Federation, Ekaterinburg

М. А. Milyaev

Mikheev Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: naumova@imp.uran.ru
Russian Federation, Ekaterinburg

А. А. Germizina

Mikheev Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: naumova@imp.uran.ru
Russian Federation, Ekaterinburg

I. К. Maksimova

Mikheev Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: naumova@imp.uran.ru
Russian Federation, Ekaterinburg

Т. А. Chernyshova

Mikheev Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: naumova@imp.uran.ru
Russian Federation, Ekaterinburg

A. Yu. Pavlova

Mikheev Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: naumova@imp.uran.ru
Russian Federation, Ekaterinburg

V. V. Proglyado

Mikheev Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: naumova@imp.uran.ru
Russian Federation, Ekaterinburg

V. V. Ustinov

Mikheev Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: naumova@imp.uran.ru
Russian Federation, Ekaterinburg

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Supplementary files

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2. Fig. 1. Schematic representation of a two-layer structure of a nonmagnetic metal/ferromagnet, magnetic moment M, components τDL and τFL (a) and the corresponding effective fields HDL and HFL (b). The electric current flowing in the NM layer along the x-axis generates a spin current along the z-axis with spin polarization σ, collinear with the y-axis (σ = ±y).

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3. Fig. 2. Field dependences of the longitudinal (dark symbols) and transverse (light symbols) electrical resistance of a 3 nm thick [Ni80Fe20]60Cr40 alloy film, obtained at temperatures of 93, 193 and 293 K.

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4. Fig. 3. Field dependences of magnetoresistance of Ni–FeCr/NiFe/FeMn/CoFe/Cu/CoFe/[Ta or NiFeCr] spin valves with different compositions of the upper protective layer.

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5. Fig. 4. (a) Photograph of the microobject for studying the magnetic structure; (b) images of the magnetic structure of the spin valve microstrips after passing current (left) and without passing current (right).

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6. Fig. 5. Dependences of the spin valve resistance after passing current on the current density, obtained in an external magnetic field H equal in magnitude to H1 (a) and H2 (b). Field dependences of the spin valve electrical resistance, measured before (light circles) and after (dark triangles) passing direct current pulses (c).

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7. Fig. 6. Values ​​of angles between the magnetic moment of the free layer and the OOA depending on the density and direction of the current in the spin valves of the NiFeCr/NiFe/FeMn/CoFe/Cu/CoFe/NiFeCr (a) and NiFeCr/NiFe/FeMn/CoFe/Cu/CoFe/Ta (b) compositions with different compositions of the non-magnetic metal in the upper protective layer. The light and dark symbols show the dependences obtained in external fields H1 and H2, counter- and co-directed to the OOA, respectively.

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8. Fig. 7. Dependences of the electrical resistance of the NiFeCr/NiFe/FeMn/CoFe/Cu/CoFe/NiFeCr spin valve sample on temperature (solid line) and on the current density at an initial temperature of 203 K and passing a direct current (symbols). The dashed line shows the result of the approximation by a second-order polynomial.

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9. Fig. 8. Schematic representation of the rotation of the magnetic moment of the free layer in a fixed field H antiparallel (a, c) and parallel (b, d) to the OOA after passing a current in the same direction (a, b) and opposite (c, d) to the initial direction of the magnetic moment.

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