Optically detected spin–orbit torque ferromagnetic resonance in an in-plane magnetized ellipse

Time-resolved scanning Kerr microscopy has been used to perform optically detected, phase-resolved spin–orbit torque ferromagnetic resonance (SOT-FMR) measurements on a microscale CoFeB ellipse at the center of a Pt Hall cross subject to RF and DC current. Time-resolved polar Kerr images revealed localized dynamics with large amplitude at the center and weaker amplitude at the edges. Therefore, field swept SOT-FMR spectra were acquired from the so-called center mode to probe the SOTs active at the center of the ellipse, thus minimizing non-uniform edge contributions. When the magnetic field was applied at 30° from the hard axis of the ellipse and a DC current was applied, a marked asymmetry was observed in the amplitude and linewidth of the FMR peaks as the applied field was reversed. Both absorptive and dispersive parts of the spectra were in good agreement with a macrospin calculation. The damping parameter (α) and the Slonczewski torque parameter were determined to be 0.025 and (6.75 ± 0.75) × 10−7 Oe A−1 cm2, respectively. The hard axis SOT-FMR linewidth was found to be almost independent of the DC current value, suggesting that the SOT has a minimal influence in the hard axis configuration and that thermal effects were insignificant. This study paves the way for spatially resolved measurements of SOT probed using localized modes of microscale devices that go beyond the spatially averaged capability of electrical measurement techniques.