Spin Currents and Torques in Ferromagnetic Systems with Strong Interfacial Spin-Orbit Coupling

Spin Currents and Torques in Ferromagnetic Systems with Strong Interfacial Spin-Orbit Coupling | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Spin Currents and Torques in Ferromagnetic Systems with Strong Interfacial Spin-Orbit Coupling Nils Petter Jørstad, Bernhard Pruckner, Wolfgang Goes, Siegfried Selberherr, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6842578/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 05 Nov, 2025 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted 14 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract A three-dimensional description of spin-dependent current transport across nonmagnetic/ferromagnetic interfaces with strong interfacial spin-orbit coupling is presented. The resulting current-induced torques acting on the magnetization of the ferromagnetic layer are addressed. By considering both magnetic exchange and Rashba spin-orbit interactions at the interface, the angular dependence of the spin-orbit torques in Pt/Co and Ta/CoFeB systems is reproduced. In line with two-dimensional Rashba models, the Rashba-Edelstein effect drives the strong field-like torque, with the unconventional angular dependence being most pronounced, when magnetic exchange and spin-orbit interaction strengths are comparable. Furthermore, the spin currents generated through spin-orbit precession and filtering are shown to produce all three spin-polarization components, depending on the magnetization direction. Utilizing these mechanisms in current-in-plane trilayers could potentially enable field-free perpendicular and type-x switching, which is crucial for advancing the miniaturization of spintronic devices. Physical sciences/Physics/Condensed matter physics/Magnetic properties and materials Physical sciences/Physics/Condensed matter physics/Spintronics Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 05 Nov, 2025 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 04 Aug, 2025 Reviews received at journal 01 Aug, 2025 Reviews received at journal 23 Jul, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Jul, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 02 Jul, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 02 Jul, 2025 Reviews received at journal 28 Jun, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 12 Jun, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 11 Jun, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 11 Jun, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 11 Jun, 2025 Editor invited by journal 11 Jun, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 11 Jun, 2025 First submitted to journal 07 Jun, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6842578","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":470284358,"identity":"561be101-3e57-41fd-bf89-391326692817","order_by":0,"name":"Nils Petter Jørstad","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABBElEQVRIie3OMUvDQBjG8Tcc3HSQ9Q0t5itcEIRSsF/lSiBZKm4SsGimyxI7d+iHuXLQLuoccFEE5xNBCoL2iEG6XOjocP8lcMcvzwH4fP+woGw/5IR2B+w4ooCctkQdEOx1lkzLjvzlJKS6e/0w83G+wFSRd6mH4aAMzA7Ob5wPq7dnqDb5hcRMwFpqFq0UiWpInSvBMqOgqLZkxi15YrwRMLDzfYQY9a1zipemJZNGkC+A2z4CaN8jKM7gdwUFtSvaTeoNxYdFnkj2xtX94w/DZipHNd9GpYMklSSm+BzHcZW+PBdX2SRcprrZFdehayU5/Jfqlu0ZdwGA2H3l8/l8vq49DmZTTlZKwqcAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Christian Doppler Laboratory for Nonvolatile Magnetoresistive Memory and Logic","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Nils","middleName":"Petter","lastName":"Jørstad","suffix":""},{"id":470284359,"identity":"dcff869e-954d-4989-a01f-479ef11d8155","order_by":1,"name":"Bernhard Pruckner","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Christian Doppler Laboratory for Nonvolatile Magnetoresistive Memory and Logic","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Bernhard","middleName":"","lastName":"Pruckner","suffix":""},{"id":470284362,"identity":"86440ded-7af9-4861-8c3f-99c872b4f268","order_by":2,"name":"Wolfgang Goes","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Silvaco Europe Ltd.","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Wolfgang","middleName":"","lastName":"Goes","suffix":""},{"id":470284363,"identity":"77de46e2-6d28-4359-9dcb-3c38de69530c","order_by":3,"name":"Siegfried Selberherr","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"TU Wien","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Siegfried","middleName":"","lastName":"Selberherr","suffix":""},{"id":470284364,"identity":"b07dab92-3530-4d24-a547-82ea179d7c16","order_by":4,"name":"Viktor Sverdlov","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Christian Doppler Laboratory for Nonvolatile Magnetoresistive Memory and Logic","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Viktor","middleName":"","lastName":"Sverdlov","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-06-07 11:38:13","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6842578/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6842578/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-22567-1","type":"published","date":"2025-11-05T15:57:25+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":95564029,"identity":"e3ee651e-63aa-4556-8991-da305806bca9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-10 16:06:40","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":2426883,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"hzmmdnbcgrmzdqngkdypdzqgxntdbpns.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6842578/v1_covered_497d59dd-2e06-4a6b-984e-5e077e864dc2.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Spin Currents and Torques in Ferromagnetic Systems with Strong Interfacial Spin-Orbit Coupling","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6842578/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6842578/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"A three-dimensional description of spin-dependent current transport across nonmagnetic/ferromagnetic interfaces with strong interfacial spin-orbit coupling is presented. 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