2026/07/28 by Anonymous, Igor Lyalin, C. C. Chiang +1
Physics and Astronomy · #Atomic and Subatomic Physics Research #Magnetic properties of thin films #Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics #cond-mat.mes-hall
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/3blc-lz55
9 pages, 4 figures, 1 table
openalex publication_date 2026/07/28 · openalex created_date 2026/07/29 · arxiv created 2026/07/30 · arxiv updated 2026/07/31 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/03
The harmonic Hall measurements are commonly used to quantify the spin-orbit torque in ferromagnet/normal metal bilayers. The contribution from ordinary Nernst effect to the second harmonic voltages is usually assumed to be negligible and omitted in the data analysis. We show that in Cr/Co bilayers the ordinary Nernst effect cannot be neglected and can lead to largely exaggerated values of spin-orbit torque efficiency. Conducting additional experiments, we estimate the Nernst coefficient of Cr and find it comparable to the values reported for other metals. Consequently, the ordinary Nernst effect should be carefully considered when employing the harmonic Hall technique to quantify spin-orbit torque in metals, while the results of some previous works might need to be re-examined.