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Ultrathin tungsten films enabling enhanced electrical response to spin currents.

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Title: Ultrathin tungsten films enabling enhanced electrical response to spin currents.
Authors: Morales-Aragonés, José Ignacio1 (AUTHOR), Groen, Inge2 (AUTHOR), Hueso, Luis E2,3 (AUTHOR), Casanova, Fèlix2,3 (AUTHOR), Pardo, José Ángel1,4,5 (AUTHOR), Sánchez-Azqueta, Carlos6 (AUTHOR), De Teresa, José María1,7 (AUTHOR) deteresa@unizar.es, Sangiao, Soraya1,4,7 (AUTHOR) sangiao@unizar.es
Source: Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics. 2026, Vol. 59 Issue 17, p1-12. 12p.
Subjects: Spin Hall effect, Tungsten, Thin films, Spin-polarized currents, Spintronics, Electric conductivity
Abstract: The efficient detection of spin currents is crucial for the development of next-generation spintronic devices. Here, we demonstrate that ultrathin W layers, with thicknesses down to 2 nm—equivalent to only four atomic planes—allow for highly efficient spin-to-charge conversion. From spin pumping experiments in YIG/W bilayers, we analyzed the inverse spin Hall effect (SHE) voltage dependence on W thickness and extracted a spin Hall conductivity of σ S H = − 1.14 (6) × 10 5 Ω − 1 m − 1 , yielding effective spin Hall angles ranging from − 0.27 (4) to − 0.88 (4) over the investigated thickness range. Furthermore, assuming the Elliott–Yafet spin scattering mechanism dominates, we estimate a spin diffusion length λ s d = 4.3 (5) × 10 − 15 Ω m 2 / ρ W , where the W resistivity ρ W is strongly dependent on thickness. Structural characterization, together with room-temperature electrical resistivity measurements and the high spin-to-charge conversion efficiency observed, confirms the stabilization of the β -phase in these ultrathin W layers. We demonstrate that the monotonic increase of the inverse SHE voltage with decreasing W thickness persists down to 2-nm-thick W layer, reflecting the extremely short spin diffusion length. This allows for efficient spin-current detection in W layers below 5 nm, effectively doubling the voltage output at half the thickness. In the thinnest sample, a continuous 2-nm-thick W layer, the generated voltage exceeds 0.5 mV—well within the operating range of conventional electronics. These findings demonstrate not only the feasibility of spin-current detection in ultrathin W, but also its compatibility with conventional electronics. They highlight the strong potential of integrating ultrathin W layers with high-quality YIG films for the development of energy-efficient spintronic devices and sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Engineering Source
Description
Abstract:The efficient detection of spin currents is crucial for the development of next-generation spintronic devices. Here, we demonstrate that ultrathin W layers, with thicknesses down to 2 nm—equivalent to only four atomic planes—allow for highly efficient spin-to-charge conversion. From spin pumping experiments in YIG/W bilayers, we analyzed the inverse spin Hall effect (SHE) voltage dependence on W thickness and extracted a spin Hall conductivity of σ S H = − 1.14 (6) × 10 5 Ω − 1 m − 1 , yielding effective spin Hall angles ranging from − 0.27 (4) to − 0.88 (4) over the investigated thickness range. Furthermore, assuming the Elliott–Yafet spin scattering mechanism dominates, we estimate a spin diffusion length λ s d = 4.3 (5) × 10 − 15 Ω m 2 / ρ W , where the W resistivity ρ W is strongly dependent on thickness. Structural characterization, together with room-temperature electrical resistivity measurements and the high spin-to-charge conversion efficiency observed, confirms the stabilization of the β -phase in these ultrathin W layers. We demonstrate that the monotonic increase of the inverse SHE voltage with decreasing W thickness persists down to 2-nm-thick W layer, reflecting the extremely short spin diffusion length. This allows for efficient spin-current detection in W layers below 5 nm, effectively doubling the voltage output at half the thickness. In the thinnest sample, a continuous 2-nm-thick W layer, the generated voltage exceeds 0.5 mV—well within the operating range of conventional electronics. These findings demonstrate not only the feasibility of spin-current detection in ultrathin W, but also its compatibility with conventional electronics. They highlight the strong potential of integrating ultrathin W layers with high-quality YIG films for the development of energy-efficient spintronic devices and sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:00223727
DOI:10.1088/1361-6463/ae5dde