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arXiv · 2606.01308

Orbital Hall effect-driven spin-orbit torque enhancement in Ti-based systems via rare-earth interface engineering

Rohiteswar Mondal·Chennoju Raghu·Animesh Baral·Arabinda Haldar·Chandrasekhar Murapaka
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Abstract

Orbital currents in light metals offer large orbital Hall conductivities, yet translating this into practical spin-orbit torque efficiency is hindered by fundamental limitations. In this work, we introduce a Gd interlayer between a Ti orbital source and a Co ferromagnet to enhance the orbital torque efficiency. Ferromagnetic resonance-based spin (orbital) pumping measurements identify an optimal Gd thickness of around 4 nm, where the orbital-to-spin conversion efficiency reaches its maximum. The Ti-thickness dependence of the inverse orbital Hall effect signal confirms a bulk orbital Hall origin in Ti and yields a qualitative orbital diffusion length exceeding 20 nm. Spin-torque ferromagnetic resonance measurements demonstrate a fivefold enhancement of the SOT efficiency in Ti(20 nm)/Co compared to a Gd(4 nm)/Co reference. Interestingly, the trilayer Ti/Gd/Co architecture exhibits a spin (orbital) torque efficiency greater than 1, which is higher than that of the bilayer Ti/Co and Gd/Co structures, irrespective of Ti thickness. These results establish rare-earth interlayer engineering as a viable route to enhanced orbital torque efficiency for next-generation spin-orbitronic devices.

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Rohiteswar Mondal, Chennoju Raghu, Animesh Baral, Arabinda Haldar, Chandrasekhar Murapaka. 2026-05-31. Orbital Hall effect-driven spin-orbit torque enhancement in Ti-based systems via rare-earth interface engineering. https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.01308

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