Magnetic-Proximity-Induced Efficient Charge-to-Spin Conversion in Large-Area PtSe2/Ni80Fe20 Heterostructures

As a topological Dirac semimetal with controllable spin–orbit coupling and conductivity, PtSe 2, a transition-metal dichalcogenide, is a promising material for several applications, from optoelectrics to sensors. However, its potential for spintronics applications has yet to be explored. In this work, we demonstrate that the PtSe 2 /Ni 80 Fe 20 heterostructure can generate large damping-like current-induced spin–orbit torques (SOT), despite the absence of spin-splitting in bulk PtSe 2 . The efficiency of charge-to-spin conversion is found to be −0.1 ± 0.02 nm –1 in PtSe 2 /Ni 80 Fe 20, which is 3 times that of the control sample, Ni 80 Fe 20 /Pt. Our band structure calculations show that the SOT due to PtSe 2 arises from an unexpectedly large spin splitting in the interfacial region of PtSe 2 introduced by the proximity magnetic field of the Ni 80 Fe 20 layer. Our results open up the possibilities of using large-area PtSe 2 for energy-efficient nanoscale devices by utilizing proximity-induced SOT.