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X-ray Detection of Transient Magnetic Moments Induced by a Spin Current in Cu

R. Kukreja, S. Bonetti, Z. Chen, D. Backes, Y. Acremann, J. A. Katine, A. D. Kent, H. A. Dürr, H. Ohldag, and J. Stöhr
Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 096601 – Published 24 August 2015
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Abstract

We have used a MHz lock-in x-ray spectromicroscopy technique to directly detect changes in magnetic moment of Cu due to spin injection from an adjacent Co layer. The elemental and chemical specificity of x rays allows us to distinguish two spin current induced effects. We detect the creation of transient magnetic moments of 3×105μB on Cu atoms within the bulk of the 28 nm thick Cu film due to spin accumulation. The moment value is compared to predictions by Mott’s two current model. We also observe that the hybridization induced existing magnetic moments at the Cu interface atoms are transiently increased by about 10% or 4×103μB per atom. This reveals the dominance of spin-torque alignment over Joule heat induced disorder of the interfacial Cu moments during current flow.

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  • Received 9 March 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.096601

© 2015 American Physical Society

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X Rays Expose Transient Spins

Published 24 August 2015

X-ray magnetic circular dichroism detects the transient magnetic moments that are induced in a nonmagnetic material by spin injection from a ferromagnet.

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Authors & Affiliations

R. Kukreja1,2,*, S. Bonetti1,3, Z. Chen1,3, D. Backes4, Y. Acremann5, J. A. Katine6, A. D. Kent4, H. A. Dürr1, H. Ohldag7, and J. Stöhr1,†

  • 1Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
  • 2Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, 496 Lomita Mall, Stanford, California 94305, USA
  • 3Department of Physics, Stanford University, 382 Via Pueblo Mall, Stanford, California 94305, USA
  • 4Physics Department, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, New York 10003, USA
  • 5Laboratorium für Festkörperphysik, ETH Zürich, HPF C 5, Otto-Stern-Weg 1, Zürich 8093, Switzerland
  • 6HGST, a Western Digital Company, 3403 Yerba Buena Road, San Jose, California 95135, USA
  • 7Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA

  • *roopali.kukreja@gmail.com
  • stohr@slac.stanford.edu

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Issue

Vol. 115, Iss. 9 — 28 August 2015

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