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Register a new userIntrinsic spin currents in ferromagnets
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First principles calculations show that electric fields applied to ferromagnets generate spin currents flowing perpendicularly to the electric field. Reduced symmetry in these ferromagnets enables a wide variety of such spin currents. However, the total spin current is approximately the sum of a magnetization-independent spin Hall current and an anisotropic spin anomalous Hall current. Intrinsic spin currents are not subject to dephasing, enabling their spin polarizations to be misaligned with the magnetization, which enables the magnetization-independent spin Hall effect. The spin Hall conductivity and spin anomalous Hall conductivities of transition metal ferromagnets are comparable to those found in heavy metals, opening new avenues for efficient spin current generation in spintronic devices.
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The existence of spin-currents in absence of any driving external fields is commonly considered an exotic phenomenon appearing only in quantum materials, such as topological insulators. We demonstrate instead that equilibrium spin currents are a rather general property of materials with non negligible spin-orbit coupling (SOC). Equilibrium spin currents can be present at the surfaces of a slab. Yet, we also propose the existence of global equilibrium spin currents, which are net bulk spin-currents along specific crystallographic directions of materials. Equilibrium spin currents are allowed by symmetry in a very broad class of systems having gyrotropic point groups. The physics behind equilibrium spin currents is uncovered by making an analogy between electronic systems with SOC and non-Abelian gauge theories. The electron spin can be seen as the analogous of the color degree of freedom and equilibrium spin currents can then be identified with diamagnetic color currents appearing as the response to an effective non-Abelian magnetic field generated by SOC. Equilibrium spin currents are not associated with spin transport and accumulation, but they should nonetheless be carefully taken into account when computing transport spin currents. We provide quantitative estimates of equilibrium spin currents for several systems, specifically metallic surfaces presenting Rashba-like surface states, nitride semiconducting nanostructures and bulk materials, such as the prototypical gyrotropic medium tellurium. In doing so, we also point out the limitations of model approaches showing that first-principles calculations are needed to obtain reliable predictions. We therefore use Density Functional Theory computing the so-called bond currents, which represent a powerful tool to understand the relation between equilibrium currents, electronic structure and crystal point group.
We study the optically induced torques in thin film ferromagnetic layers under excitation by circularly polarized light. We study cases both with and without Rashba spin-orbit coupling using a 4-band model. In the absence of Rashba spin-orbit coupling, we derive an analytic expression for the optical torques, revealing the conditions under which the torque is mostly derived from optical spin transfer torque (i.e. when the torque is along the direction of optical angular momentum), versus when the torque is derived from the inverse Faraday effect (i.e. when the torque is perpendicular to the optical angular momentum). We find the optical spin transfer torque dominates provided that the excitation energy is far away from band edge transitions, and the magnetic exchange splitting is much greater than the lifetime broadening. For the case with large Rashba spin-orbit coupling and out-of-plane magnetization, we find the torque is generally perpendicular to the photon angular momentum and is ascribed to an optical Edelstein effect.
Transport calculations based on ab-initio band structures reveal large interface-generated spin currents at Co/Pt, Co/Cu, and Pt/Cu interfaces. These spin currents are driven by in-plane electric fields but flow out-of-plane, and can have similar strengths to spin currents generated by the spin Hall effect in bulk Pt. Each interface generates spin currents with polarization along $bf{hat{z}} times bf{E}$, where $bf{hat{z}}$ is the interface normal and $bf{E}$ denotes the electric field. The Co/Cu and Co/Pt interfaces additionally generate spin currents with polarization along $bf{hat{m}} times (bf{hat{z}} times bf{E})$, where $bf{hat{m}}$ gives the magnetization direction of Co. The latter spin polarization is controlled by---but not aligned with---the magnetization, providing a novel mechanism for generating spin torques in magnetic trilayers.
We study the dynamics of skyrmions under spin-transfer torque in Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya materials with easy-axis anisotropy. In particular, we study the motion of a topological skyrmion with skyrmion number $Q=1$ and a non-topological skyrmionium with $Q=0$ using their linear momentum, virial relations, and numerical simulations. The non-topological $Q=0$ skyrmionium is accelerated in the direction of the current flow and it either reaches a steady state with constant velocity, or it is elongated to infinity. The steady-state velocity is given by a balance between current and dissipation and has an upper limit. In contrast, the topological $Q=1$ skyrmion converges to a steady-state with constant velocity at an angle to the current flow. When the spin current stops the $Q=1$ skyrmion is spontaneously pinned whereas the $Q=0$ skyrmionium continues propagation. Exact solutions for the propagating skyrmionium are identified as solutions of equations given numerically in a previous work. Further exact results for propagating skyrmions are given in the case of the pure exchange model. The traveling solutions provide arguments that a spin-polarized current will cause rigid motion of a skyrmion or a skyrmionium.
Inertia effects in magnetization dynamics are theoretically shown to result in a different type of spin waves, i.e. nutation surface spin waves, which propagate at terahertz frequencies in in-plane magnetized ferromagnetic thin films. Considering the magnetostatic limit, i.e. neglecting exchange coupling, we calculate dispersion relation and group velocity, which we find to be slower than the velocity of conventional (precession) spin waves. In addition, we find that the nutation surface spin waves are backward spin waves. Furthermore, we show that inertia causes a decrease of the frequency of the precession spin waves, namely magnetostatic surface spin waves and backward volume magnetostatic spin waves. The magnitude of the decrease depends on the magnetic properties of the film and its geometry.
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