Efficient Spin-Orbit Torque Generation in Semiconducting WTe2 with Hopping Transport

Abstract: Spin-orbit torques (SOTs) from transition metal dichalcogenides systems (TMDs) in conjunction with ferromagnetic materials are recently attractive in spintronics for their versatile features. However, most of the previously studied crystalline TMDs are prepared by mechanical exfoliation, which limits their potentials for industrial applications. Here we show that amorphous WTe2 heterostructures deposited by magnetron sputtering possess a sizable damping-like SOT efficiency {\xi}_DL^WTe2 ~ 0.20 and low damping constant {\alpha} = 0.009/pm0.001. Only an extremely low critical switching current density J_c ~ 7.05\times10^9 A/m^2 is required to achieve SOT-driven magnetization switching. The SOT efficiency is further proved to depend on the W and Te relative compositions in the co-sputtered W_100-xTe_x samples, from which a sign change of {\xi}_DL^WTe2 is observed. Besides, the electronic transport in amorphous WTe2 is found to be semiconducting and is governed by a hopping mechanism. With the above advantages and rich tunability, amorphous and semiconducting WTe2 serves as a unique SOT source for future spintronics applications.