Spin-orbit torque emerging from orbital textures in centrosymmetric materials

2023/07/27 by Canonico, Luis M., García, Jose H., Roche, Stephan
#FOS: Physical sciences #Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) #Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)

paper · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2307.14673

Abstract

We unveil a hitherto concealed spin-orbit torque mechanism driven by orbital degrees of freedom in centrosymmetric two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (focusing on PtSe₂ ). Using first-principles simulations, tight-binding models and large-scale quantum transport calculations, we show that such a mechanism fundamentally stems from a spatial localization of orbital textures at opposite sides of the material, which imprints their symmetries onto spin-orbit coupling effects, further producing efficient and tunable spin-orbit torque. Our study suggests that orbital-spin entanglement at play in centrosymmetric materials can be harnessed as a resource for outperforming conventional spin-orbit torques generated by the Rashba-type effects.

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