Flexible orbital torque device with ultralow switching current
Orbital torque (OT) offers a highly efficient way for electrical magnetization manipulation. However, its potential in the emerging field of flexible spintronics remains largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate a flexible and robust OT device based on a mica/SrRuO3(SRO)/CoPt heterostructure. We measure a large torque efficiency of −0.31, which originates from the significant orbital Hall effect in the SRO layer. Leveraging the low thermal conductivity of the mica substrate, a thermally assisted switching mechanism is activated, enabling an ultralow threshold current density of 9.2 × 109 A/m2. This value represents a 90% reduction compared to conventional spin torque devices and a 52% reduction against its rigid counterpart on a SrTiO3 substrate. The superior performance is well maintained after 103 bending cycles, confirming its exceptional flexibility and durability. Our work pioneers the development of flexible OT devices, showcasing a viable path toward next-generation, low-power wearable spintronic applications.
Authors
- Liguang Gong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4097-2292)
- Bin Lao
- Zhiming Wang
- Run‐Wei Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3879-9834)
- Jian Song (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1537-623X)
Institutions
- University of Science and Technology of China (CN)
- Eastern Institute of Technology (NZ)
- Suzhou University of Science and Technology (CN)
- Wuhan Engineering Science & Technology Institute (CN)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Ningbo Institute of Industrial Technology (CN)
- Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo
Publication Details
- Journal
- Applied Physics Letters
- Published
- 2025-11-10
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0299096
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Heusler alloys: electronic and magnetic properties
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.85