Oxidation-induced ultrafast spin-to-orbital conversion at heavy-metal interfaces

Abstract

Oxidation engineering provides a route to control orbital degrees of freedom, yet its role in spin-to-orbital conversion remains largely unexplored. Here, we report an efficient spin-to-orbital conversion mechanism driven by interfacial oxidation at heavy-metal interfaces. In W/Co/SiO2 heterostructures, terahertz emission exhibits a time delay that scales linearly with the W thickness, identifying orbital-current transport as the dominant origin. The emission amplitude is approximately three times larger than that of Co/Pt bilayers, indicating highly efficient conversion from spin to orbital angular momentum. Systematic variation of Co thickness, stoichiometry, and interface configuration reveals that the effect originates from oxidation of the W layer at the W/Co interface, which modulates the interfacial orbital texture. We further show that this mechanism is generic across different heavy metals and scales with their spin-orbit coupling strength. These results establish oxidation as an effective handle to engineer spin-to-orbital conversion and provide a general route toward orbitronic terahertz emitters.