Important Key Points
Spin Hall Angle: It tells us about how efficiently a metal can convert a spin current into Charge
Current
Spin Diffusion Length: It predicts, how far spin information can travel within the metal. How far
spin-polarized electrons can travel without losing their polarization
Electro-Optic Crystals: It refers to materials that change their properties when exposed to light
All Optical Switching: The process of flipping the magnetization of a ferrimagnetic material without
using the external magnetic field is called AOS. For AOS in FM material, we need a repetitive
bombardment of laser light to flip the entire magnetization of FM material.
Fourier Spectrum of THz Waves: It shows how much of each frequency is present in the THz
pulse, providing a detailed frequency-domain analysis. A THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS)
system is used to measure the THz electric field as a function of time.
Dependence of Charge Current: The charge current is given by
2e
Jc= Ɵ J ×M
ħ SHE s
J c =¿ Charge current generated by ISHE.
J s =¿Spin current flowing through the system.
M=Magnetization of the ferromagnetic (FM) layer (e.g., Co film).
ƟSHE =¿Spin Hall angle of the nonmagnetic (NM) layer (e.g., Al or Pt).
e=Electron charge.
ħ =Reduced Planck’s constant.
The magnetization determines the direction of the spin current flow in the FM layer.
If you reverse the magnetization (by flipping the applied magnetic field), the direction of the spin
current also changes.
Since is J c is proportional to the cross-product of J s and M. So, reversing the M reverses flipping
the charge current's direction.
This flip in charge current direction results in a 180° phase shift in the emitted THz wave.
The strength of THz ( ETHz ) emission is given by
δ J c (t )
ETHz ( t )=Z
δt
J c ( t )=¿The total charge current in the emitter.
Z= The impedance of the structure
This relation shows that when the thickness of a material is increased beyond the limit the Z is
decreased and ETHz ( t ) is also decreased. Thickness will increase the area which result to decrease
the resistance
L
Z=ρ
A
Magnetic dead layer: In magnetic materials, the dead layer is a part of the material (usually near
its surface) that doesn’t contribute to magnetism, even though it looks like it should. The dead
layer forms because of imperfections where the magnetic material (like cobalt) meets another
material.
X-Ray Reflectivity (XRR): This technique measures the thickness of the films after deposition
to ensure they are accurate (2 nm for Fe and 3 nm for Pt).
High-Resolution Energy-Filtered Transmission Electron Microscopy (HR EF-TEM): Used
to visualize the layers at an atomic level. Also confirms that the Fe and Pt layers are grown
smoothly and stress-free, maintaining high structural quality.
Optical Parametric Amplifier (OPA): Imagine you have a white light source, and you want
only a specific color (wavelength) for your experiment. The OPA is like a smart filter that not
only selects the color you need but also amplifies it to make it brighter and more intense.
Tunnel Magnetoresistance (TMR): is a phenomenon observed in Magnetic Tunnel Junctions
(MTJs), where the electrical resistance of the device depends on the relative alignment of the
magnetizations of two ferromagnetic layers separated by a thin insulating layer. The resistance
changes based on whether the magnetizations are aligned (parallel) or opposed (antiparallel),
leading to the magnetoresistance effect. TMR is insulator while GMR is conductors.