Correlation between the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and the orbital angular momentum at an oxide / ferromagnet interface

Abstract

We report on the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DMI) interaction at the interface between a ferromagnet and an oxide. We demonstrate experimentally that oxides can give rise to DMI. By comparison of systems comprised of Pt/Co90Fe10/Oxide and Cu/Co90Fe10/Oxide, we also show how oxidation of one interface can enhance and add to the total DMI of that generated by the Pt interface. This is due to the fact that the DMI on both interfaces promotes left-handed chirality. Finally, by use of ferromagnetic resonance spectroscopy, we show that the DMI and the spectroscopic splitting factor, which is a measure of the orbital momentum, are correlated. This indicates the importance of hybridization and charge transfer at the oxide interface for the DMI.