A review of current research on spin currents and spin–orbit torques  

作　　者：Xiao-Yu Feng Qi-Han Zhang Han-Wen Zhang Yi Zhang Rui Zhong Bo-Wen Lu Jiang-Wei Cao Xiao-Long Fan 冯晓玉;张琪涵;张瀚文;张祎;钟瑞;卢博文;曹江伟;范小龙(The Key Laboratory for Magnetism and Magnetic Materials of Ministry of Education, Lanzhou University)

机构地区：[1]The Key Laboratory for Magnetism and Magnetic Materials of Ministry of Education, Lanzhou University

出　　处：《Chinese Physics B》2019年第10期121-152,共32页中国物理B（英文版）

基　　金：Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11674142,51771099,11429401,and 51471081);the Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University,China(Grant No.IRT-16R35)

摘　　要：Spintronics is a new discipline focusing on the research and application of electronic spin properties. After the discovery of the giant magnetoresistance effect in 1988, spintronics has had a huge impact on scientific progress and related applications in the development of information technology. In recent decades, the main motivation in spintronics has been efficiently controlling local magnetization using electron flow or voltage rather than controlling the electron flow using magnetization. Using spin-orbit coupling in a material can convert a charge current into a pure spin current(a flow of spin momenta without a charge flow) and generate a spin-orbit torque on the adjacent ferromagnets. The ability of spintronic devices to utilize spin-orbit torques to manipulate the magnetization has resulted in large-scale developments such as magnetic random-access memories and has boosted the spintronic research area. Here in, we review the theoretical and experimental results that have established this subfield of spintronics. We introduce the concept of a pure spin current and spin-orbit torques within the experimental framework, and we review transport-, magnetization-dynamics-, and opticalbased measurements and link then to both phenomenological and microscopic theories of the effect. The focus is on the related progress reported from Chinese universities and institutes, and we specifically highlight the contributions made by Chinese researchers.Spintronics is a new discipline focusing on the research and application of electronic spin properties. After the discovery of the giant magnetoresistance effect in 1988, spintronics has had a huge impact on scientific progress and related applications in the development of information technology. In recent decades, the main motivation in spintronics has been efficiently controlling local magnetization using electron flow or voltage rather than controlling the electron flow using magnetization. Using spin–orbit coupling in a material can convert a charge current into a pure spin current(a flow of spin momenta without a charge flow) and generate a spin–orbit torque on the adjacent ferromagnets. The ability of spintronic devices to utilize spin-orbit torques to manipulate the magnetization has resulted in large-scale developments such as magnetic random-access memories and has boosted the spintronic research area. Here in, we review the theoretical and experimental results that have established this subfield of spintronics. We introduce the concept of a pure spin current and spin-orbit torques within the experimental framework, and we review transport-, magnetization-dynamics-, and opticalbased measurements and link then to both phenomenological and microscopic theories of the effect. The focus is on the related progress reported from Chinese universities and institutes, and we specifically highlight the contributions made by Chinese researchers.

关 键 词：SPIN-ORBIT coupling PURE SPIN CURRENT SPIN-ORBIT TORQUES physical effects associated with SPIN CURRENT 

分 类 号：O4[理学—物理]