Spin–orbit torques enable energy-efficient manipulation of magnetization by electric current and hold promise for applications ranging from non-volatile memory to neuromorphic computing.
A team lead by Prof. Ilya Krivorotov of the CCAM seed project discovered a new type of giant spin–orbit torque induced by the anomalous Hall effect in ferromagnetic conductors. This anomalous Hall torque is self-generated as it acts on the magnetization of the ferromagnet that engenders the torque. The magnitude of the anomalous Hall torque is sufficiently large to fully negate magnetic damping of the ferromagnet, which allowed the team to implement a microwave spin torque nano-oscillator driven by this torque. The universal character of the anomalous Hall torque makes it an integral part of the description of coupled spin transport and magnetization dynamics in magnetic nanostructures. This novel torque can find applications in ultrafast neuromorphic signal processing nanodevices. Learn More
Montoya, E.A., Pei, X. & Krivorotov, I.N. Anomalous Hall spin current drives self-generated spin–orbit torque in a ferromagnet. Nat. Nanotechnol. 20, 353–359 (2025).
This work has been published in Nature Nanotechnology. The research team included collaborator from CCAM Ilya Krivorotov. The experimental part of this work was done by CCAM Junior Research Fellow Xinyao Pei.
