Large Spin-Orbit-Torque Efficiency and Room-Temperature Magnetization Switching in Sr Ir O 3 / Co-Fe-B Heterostructures
Spin-orbit-torque (SOT) switching is a potentially energy-efficient mechanism by which electrical current can control magnetization. We demonstrate room-temperature SOT switching in nanometer-thick CoFeB/SrIrO 3 bilayers despite the amorphous nature of CoFeB and the interface. This behavior is attributed to the large spin Hall angle in SrIrO 3 as well as high spin transmission at the interface that contribute to the SOT efficiency ξ SOT . Our bilayers exhibit large ξ SOT of up to 1.4 and effective spin Hall conductivity of 0.9 ×10 5 (ℏ/2e)Ω –1 m –1 . In our bilayers, we observe unidirectional magnetoresistance and current-induced magnetization switching with a low critical current density of 1.38 ×10 10 A/m 2 at room temperature. Finally, our results are promising for heterostructures combining technologically relevant CoFeB with high spin-orbit-coupling oxides.