Interface-Controlled Spin-Orbit Torques in Rare-Earth Synthetic Ferrimagnets Probed by Sagnac Magneto-Optics and Harmonic Hall Measurements

Abstract

Spin-orbit torque (SOT) provides an efficient route for manipulating magnetization in spintronic devices, and its accurate quantification is essential. Here, we investigate Co/Gd-based synthetic ferrimagnets using complementary magnetotransport and magneto-optical techniques. We use a Sagnac magneto-optical interferometry method to directly quantify current-induced magnetization tilting and extract the damping-like SOT effective field. The Sagnac measurements show good agreement with harmonic Hall analysis across different Co/Gd and Gd/Pt/Co heterostructures, providing a quantitative determination of the damping-like SOT effective field that does not rely on electrical transport signatures. By varying the Gd thickness and multilayer stacking order, we demonstrate that the damping-like torque is strongly influenced by spin transport and angular momentum conversion at rare-earth and heavy-metal interfaces. The observation of a finite torque in Gd/Pt/Co/Pt structures, where conventional Pt spin Hall contributions are expected to compensate, highlights the active role of the Gd layer in SOT generation. Furthermore, interface engineering enables perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in Gd/Pt/Co/Al heterostructures with a 2-nm-thick Co layer, allowing current-induced SOT switching at current densities of 8-10 MA/cm$^2$. These results establish rare-earth-based synthetic ferrimagnets as a versatile platform for engineering spin-orbit phenomena and optimizing low-power spintronic devices.