Enhanced spin-orbit torques in MnAl/Ta films with improving chemical ordering

K. K. Meng, J. Miao, X. G. Xu, Y. Wu, X. P. Zhao, J. H. Zhao, Y. Jiang

Published 2017-02-26Version 1

We report the enhancement of spin-orbit torques in MnAl/Ta films with improving chemical ordering through annealing. The switching current density is increased due to enhanced saturation magnetization MS and effective anisotropy field HK after annealing. Both damplinglike effective field HD and fieldlike effective field HF have been increased in the temperature range of 50 to 300 K. HD varies inversely with MS in both of the films, while the HF becomes liner dependent on 1/MS in the annealed film. We infer that the improved chemical ordering has enhanced the interfacial spin transparency and the transmitting of the spin current in MnAl layer.