Electric-field control of spin-orbit torques in perpendicularly magnetized W/CoFeB/MgO films
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Controlling magnetism by electric fields offers a highly attractive perspective for designing future generations of energy-efficient information technologies. Here, we demonstrate that the magnitude of current-induced spin-orbit torques in thin perpendicularly magnetized CoFeB films can be tuned and even increased by electric-field generated piezoelectric strain. Using theoretical calculations, we uncover that the subtle interplay of spin-orbit coupling, crystal symmetry, and orbital polarization is at the core of the observed strain dependence of spin-orbit torques. Our results open a path to integrating two energy efficient spin manipulation approaches, the electric-field-induced strain and the current-induced magnetization switching, thereby enabling novel device concepts.
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Physical review letters, 124, 21, APS, College Park, Md., 2020, https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.217701