W layer thickness dependence of the spin–orbit effective fields in NiFe/W bilayers

Abstract

Spin–orbit torques (SOTs) generated by in-plane current injection in a ferromagnetic metal (FM)/heavy metal (HM) bilayer offers a new route to electrically manipulate magnetization. Here, we report on two sizable spin–orbit field contributions from the spin Hall effect and Rashba effect in NiFe/W bilayers by using the planar Hall effect. Both spin–orbit fields decrease with increasing W layer thickness. Importantly, the spin–orbit field contributing from the spin Hall effect decreases faster than the one from the Rashba effect as the thickness of W layer increases, leading to the sign change of the field-like torque at thicker W. Our results illustrate the co-contributions of the Rashba effect and the spin Hall effect to the field-like SOT in NiFe/W bilayer giving more insight into the effect of the field-like SOT in a FM/HM bilayer.