Electrically driven spin torque and dynamical Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in magnetic bilayer systems
Pith reviewed 2026-05-25 11:54 UTC · model grok-4.3
The pith
Electric voltages applied via Rashba spin-orbit coupling generate spin torques in magnetic bilayers without Joule heating and act as an interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction.
A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.
Core claim
Electric voltages exerted through the Rashba spin-orbit interaction in magnetic bilayer systems generate effective spin torques that resemble current-induced torques and simultaneously serve as an interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, thereby allowing activation and creation of noncollinear magnetism such as skyrmions while avoiding Joule-heating losses.
What carries the argument
The Rashba spin-orbit interaction in the bilayer geometry, which converts applied electric voltage into effective fields that produce both spin torques and an effective Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction.
If this is right
- Magnetization switching and domain control become possible in bilayer devices without Joule-heating energy dissipation.
- Skyrmions and other noncollinear textures can be nucleated or stabilized purely by voltage rather than current.
- Spintronic device architectures can incorporate voltage gates for low-power operation while retaining torque-based controllability.
- The same voltage-induced mechanism can be used to tune the strength of interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction dynamically.
Where Pith is reading between the lines
- Voltage control of skyrmions might enable new low-power memory or logic elements that operate without continuous current.
- The approach could be tested in standard heavy-metal/ferromagnet interfaces already used for current-driven skyrmion motion.
- If the voltage torques scale with the same Rashba parameter as current torques, device design rules might transfer directly from existing current-based literature.
Load-bearing premise
The Rashba spin-orbit interaction strength and bilayer geometry produce voltage-induced torques that remain sizable and controllable without requiring any current flow or extra material-specific parameters.
What would settle it
An experiment showing that voltage application alone, without current, produces no measurable spin torque or effective Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in a Rashba-coupled magnetic bilayer would falsify the central claim.
Figures
read the original abstract
Efficient control of magnetism with electric means is a central issue of current spintronics research, which opens an opportunity to design integrated spintronic devices. However, recent well-studied methods are mostly based on electric-current injection, and they are inevitably accompanied by considerable energy losses through Joule heating. Here we theoretically propose a way to exert spin torques into magnetic bilayer systems by application of electric voltages through taking advantage of the Rashba spin-orbit interaction. The torques resemble the well-known electric-current-induced torques, providing similar controllability of magnetism but without Joule-heating energy losses. The torques also turn out to work as an interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction which enables us to activate and create noncollinear magnetism like skyrmions by electric-voltage application. Our proposal offers an efficient technique to manipulate magnetizations in spintronics devices without Joule-heating energy losses.
Editorial analysis
A structured set of objections, weighed in public.
Referee Report
Summary. The manuscript proposes a theoretical scheme to generate spin torques in magnetic bilayer systems by applying electric voltages through the Rashba spin-orbit interaction. These torques are claimed to be functionally equivalent to conventional current-induced (damping-like and field-like) torques while eliminating Joule heating, and are further asserted to act as a dynamical interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction capable of stabilizing or creating non-collinear textures such as skyrmions.
Significance. A voltage-only mechanism that produces sizable, controllable torques without net charge current would constitute a meaningful advance for low-power spintronics, provided the derivation is free of hidden dependence on conductivity or scattering time.
major comments (1)
- [Abstract / central derivation] The central claim that voltage-induced torques remain nonzero and functionally equivalent to current-induced torques at J=0 must be demonstrated explicitly. Standard Rashba derivations obtain the damping-like and field-like components from the nonequilibrium spin density generated by a charge current; purely electrostatic modulation of the Rashba parameter α typically produces only anisotropy shifts or static DMI. The manuscript must show the explicit voltage-dependent term added to the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation and confirm that it survives when the current density vanishes everywhere.
Simulated Author's Rebuttal
We thank the referee for their careful reading of the manuscript and for identifying the need for an explicit demonstration that the proposed voltage-induced torques remain finite at vanishing current density. We address this central concern below.
read point-by-point responses
-
Referee: [Abstract / central derivation] The central claim that voltage-induced torques remain nonzero and functionally equivalent to current-induced torques at J=0 must be demonstrated explicitly. Standard Rashba derivations obtain the damping-like and field-like components from the nonequilibrium spin density generated by a charge current; purely electrostatic modulation of the Rashba parameter α typically produces only anisotropy shifts or static DMI. The manuscript must show the explicit voltage-dependent term added to the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation and confirm that it survives when the current density vanishes everywhere.
Authors: We agree that an explicit verification at J=0 is required for clarity. Our derivation begins from the voltage-dependent Rashba Hamiltonian H_R = α(V) (k × z) · σ, where the applied voltage V(t) enters both statically and through its time derivative. The resulting nonequilibrium spin density is obtained from the Heisenberg equation of motion for the spin operator; the torque term that enters the LLG equation is τ_V = (ħ/2e) α'(V) E × m (with E the electric field corresponding to V). This expression contains no conductivity or scattering-time factor and is therefore independent of J. In the revised manuscript we will insert a dedicated paragraph (new subsection after Eq. (4)) that explicitly sets the charge-current density to zero while retaining the time-dependent voltage term, confirming that both the damping-like and field-like components survive. We will also add a short appendix deriving the same torque from the continuity equation for spin, again with J=0 enforced. revision: yes
Circularity Check
No circularity; derivation rests on standard Rashba SOI without self-referential fits or load-bearing self-citations
full rationale
The paper proposes voltage-induced torques via Rashba SOI in bilayers as an alternative to current-driven torques. No quoted equations or sections reduce a claimed prediction to a fitted input, self-definition, or self-citation chain. The central claim is a theoretical extension of known Rashba physics to the voltage-only case; it does not rename known results or smuggle ansatzes via prior self-work. The provided abstract and reader's assessment confirm the absence of construction-by-fit or uniqueness theorems imported from the same authors. This is the common honest non-finding for a first-principles proposal.
Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger
axioms (1)
- domain assumption Rashba spin-orbit interaction is present and dominant at the bilayer interface and converts applied voltage into effective spin torques.
Reference graph
Works this paper leans on
-
[1]
1 meV (6 × 10− 6 meV) and D2 ∼ 5 × 10− 3 meV (2 × 10− 6 meV). Here we assume typical parameter values [19–21], i.e., a = 5 ˚ A, εF = 4 eV (10 meV), kF = 1 ˚ A− 1 (0. 01 ˚ A− 1), Jex/ε F = 0. 25 (0. 5), τ = 10 − 14 s (10 − 12 s), α 0 = 2 eV ·˚ A (0. 07 eV ·˚ A), α ext/α 0 = 0. 1, and Ω/ 2π = 1 GHz. The strength of the Rashba-mediated DMI is relatively stro...
-
[2]
Making nonmagnetic semiconductors ferromagne tic
Ohno, H. Making nonmagnetic semiconductors ferromagne tic. Science 281, 951 (1998). 13
work page 1998
-
[3]
Wolf, S. A., Awschalom, D. D., Buhrman, R. A., Daughton, J . M., von Moln´ ar, S., Roukes, M. L., Chtchelkanova, A. Y. & Treger, D. M. Spintronics: a spi n-based electronics vision for the future. Science 294, 1488 (2001)
work page 2001
-
[4]
ˇZuti´ c, I., Fabian, J. & Das Sarma, S. Spintronics: fundamen tals and applications. Rev. Mod. Phys. 76, 323 (2004)
work page 2004
-
[5]
Chappert, C., Fert, A. & Van Dau, F. N. The emergence of spi n electronics in data storage. Nat. Mater. 6, 813 (2007)
work page 2007
-
[6]
Manchon, A., Koo, H. C., Nitta, J., Frolov, S. M., & Duine, R. A. New perspectives for Rashba spin-orbit coupling. Nat. Mat. 14, 871 (2015)
work page 2015
-
[7]
A recent progress of spintronics de vices for integrated circuit appli- cations
Endoh, T., & Honjo, H. A recent progress of spintronics de vices for integrated circuit appli- cations. J. Low Power Electron. Appl. 8, 44 (2018)
work page 2018
-
[8]
The multiple directions of antiferromagnetic spintronics
Jungwirth, T., Sinova, J., Manchon, A., Marti, X., Wunde rlich, J., & Felser, C. The multiple directions of antiferromagnetic spintronics. Nat. Phys. 1 4, 200 (2018)
work page 2018
-
[9]
Antiferromag- netic spintronics
Baltz, V., Manchon, A., Tsoi, M., Moriyama, T., Ono, T., & Tserkovnyak, Y. Antiferromag- netic spintronics. Rev. Mod. Phys. 90, 015005 (2018)
work page 2018
-
[10]
Slonczewski, J. C. Current-driven excitation of magnet ic multilayers. J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 159, L1 (1996)
work page 1996
-
[11]
Emission of spin waves by a magnetic multilay er traversed by a current
Berger, L. Emission of spin waves by a magnetic multilay er traversed by a current. Phys. Rev. B 54, 9353 (1996)
work page 1996
-
[12]
Tatara, G., Kohno, H. & Shibata, J. Microscopic approac h to current-driven domain wall dynamics. Phys. Rep. 468, 213 (2008)
work page 2008
-
[13]
Zhang, S. & Li, Z. Roles of nonequilibrium conduction el ectrons on the magnetization dynam- ics of ferromagnets. Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 127204 (2004)
work page 2004
-
[14]
Thiaville, A., Nakatani, Y., Miltat, J. & Suzuki, Y. Mic romagnetic understanding of current- driven domain wall motion in patterned nanowires. Eyrophys. Lett. 69, 990 (2005)
work page 2005
-
[15]
Kl¨ aui, M., Vaz, C. A. F., Bland, J. A. C., Wernsdofer, W. , Faini, G., Cambril, E. & Hey- derman, L. J. Domain wall motion induced by spin polarized cu rrents in ferromagnetic ring structures. Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 105 (2003)
work page 2003
-
[16]
Tsoi, M., Fontana, R. E. & Parkin, S. S. P. Magnetic domai n wall motion triggered by an electric current. Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 2617 (2003)
work page 2003
-
[17]
Yamaguchi, A., Ono, T., Nasu, S., Miyake, K., Mibu, K. & S hinjo, T. Real-space observation of 14 current-driven domain wall motion in submicron magnetic wi res. Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 077205 (2004)
work page 2004
- [18]
-
[19]
Rashba, E. I. Properties of semiconductors with an extr emum loop. 1. Cyclotron and combi- national resonance in a magnetic field perpendicular to the p lane of the loop. Sov. Phys. Solid State 2, 1109 (1960)
work page 1960
-
[20]
Nitta, J., Akazaki, T., Takayanagi, H. & Enoki, T. Gate c ontrol of spin-orbit interaction in an inverted In 0.53Ga0.47As/In0.52Al0.48As heterostructure. Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 1335 (1997)
work page 1997
-
[21]
R., Henk, J., Ernst, A., Moreschini, L., Falub, M
Ast, C. R., Henk, J., Ernst, A., Moreschini, L., Falub, M . C., Pacil’e, D., Bruno, P. Kern, K. & Grioni, M. Giant spin splitting through surface alloying. Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 186807 (2007)
work page 2007
-
[22]
Nakagawa, T., Ohgami, O., Saito, Y., Okuyama, H., Nishi jima, M. & Aruga, T. Transition be- tween tetramer and monomer phases driven by vacancy configur ation entropy on Bi/Ag(001). Phys. Rev. B 75, 155409 (2007)
work page 2007
-
[23]
Obata, K. & Tatara, G. Current-induced domain wall moti on in Rashba spin-orbit system. Phys. Rev. B 77, 214429 (2008)
work page 2008
-
[24]
Manchon, A. & Zhang, S. Theory of nonequilibrium intrin sic spin torque in a single nanomag- net. Phys. Rev. B 78, 212405 (2008)
work page 2008
-
[25]
Manchon, A. & Zhang, S. Theory of spin torque due to spin- orbit coupling. Phys. Rev. B 79, 094422 (2009)
work page 2009
-
[26]
Kim, K.-W., Seo, S.-M., Ryu, J., Lee, K.-J. & Lee, H.-W. M agnetization dynamics induced by in-plane currents in ultrathin magnetic nanostructures with Rashba spin-orbit coupling. Phys. Rev. B 85, 180404(R) (2012)
work page 2012
-
[27]
M., Gaudin, G., Auffret, S., Rodmacq, B., Schuhl , A., Pizzini, S., Vogel, J
Miron, I. M., Gaudin, G., Auffret, S., Rodmacq, B., Schuhl , A., Pizzini, S., Vogel, J. & Gambardella, P. Current-driven spin torque induced by the R ashba effect in a ferromagnetic metal layer. Nat. Mater. 9, 230 (2010)
work page 2010
-
[28]
M., Moore, T., Szambolics, H., Buda-Prejbean u, L
Miron, I. M., Moore, T., Szambolics, H., Buda-Prejbean u, L. D., Auffret, S., Rodmacq, B., Pizzini, A., Vogal, J., Bonfim, M., Schuhl, A. & Gaudin, G. Fas t current-induced domain-wall motion controlled by the Rashba effect. Nat. Mater. 10, 419 (2011)
work page 2011
-
[29]
Fert, A., Cros, V. & Sampaio, J. Skyrmions on the track. Nat. Nanotech. 8, 152 (2013)
work page 2013
-
[30]
Soumyanarayanan, A., Reyren, N., Fert, A. & Panagopoul os, C. Emergent phenomena induced 15 by spin-orbit coupling at surfaces and interfaces. Nature 539, 509 (2016)
work page 2016
-
[31]
Mal’shukov, A. G., Tang, C. S., Chu, C. S. & Chao, K. A. Spi n-current generation and detection in the presence of an ac gate. Phys. Rev. B 68, 233307 (2003)
work page 2003
- [32]
-
[33]
Ho, C. S., Jalil, M. B. A. & Tan, S. G. Spin force and the gen eration of sustained spin current in time-dependent Rashba and Dresselhaus systems. J. Appl. Phys. 115, 183705 (2014)
work page 2014
-
[34]
Ho, C. S., Jalil, M. B. A. & Tan, S. G. Gate-control of spin -motive force and spin-torque in Rashba SOC system. New J. Phys. 17, 123005 (2015)
work page 2015
-
[35]
Ando, K., Takahashi, S., Harii, K., Sasage, K., Ieda, J. , Maekawa, S., & Saitoh, E. Electric manipulation of spin relaxation using the spin Hall effect. Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 036601 (2008)
work page 2008
-
[36]
Emori, S., Bauer, U., Ahn, S.-M., Martinez, E., & Beach, G. S. D. Current-driven dynamics of chiral ferromagnetic domain walls. Nat. Mat. 12, 611 (2013)
work page 2013
-
[37]
Chiral spin torque at magnetic domain walls
Ryu, K.-S., Thomas, L., Yang, S.-H., & Parkin, S. Chiral spin torque at magnetic domain walls. Nat. Nanotech. 8, 527 (2013)
work page 2013
-
[38]
Tatara, G. & Entel, P. Calculation of current-induced t orque from spin continuity equation. Phys. Rev. B 78, 064429 (2008)
work page 2008
-
[39]
Spin-wave modes and their intense excita tion effects in skyrmion crystals
Mochizuki, M. Spin-wave modes and their intense excita tion effects in skyrmion crystals. Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 017601 (2012)
work page 2012
-
[40]
Onose, Y., Okamura, Y., Seki, S., Ishiwata, S. & Tokura, Y. Observation of magnetic excita- tions of skyrmion crystal in a helimagnetic insulator Cu 2OSeO3. Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 037603 (2012)
work page 2012
-
[41]
Ado, I. A., Qaiumzadeh, A., Duine, R. A., Brataas, A. & Ti tov, M. Asymmetric and symmetric exchange in a generalized 2D Rashba ferromagnet. Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 086802 (2018)
work page 2018
-
[42]
Dzyaloshinskii, I. E. Thermodynamics theory of “weak” ferromagnetism in antiferromagnetic substances. Sov. Phys. JETP 5, 1259 (1957)
work page 1957
-
[43]
Anisotropic superexchange interaction and weak ferromegnetism
Moriya, T. Anisotropic superexchange interaction and weak ferromegnetism. Phys. Rev. 120, 91 (1960)
work page 1960
-
[44]
Kim, K.-W., Lee, H.-W., Lee, K.-J. & Stiles, M. D. Chiral ity from interfacial spin-orbit coupling effects in magnetic bilayers. Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 216601 (2013)
work page 2013
-
[45]
Kikuchi, T., Koretsune, T., Arita, R. & Tatara, G. Dzyal oshinskii-Moriya interaction as a 16 consequence of a Doppler shift due to spin-orbit induced int rinsic spin current. Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 247201 (2016)
work page 2016
-
[46]
Nawaoka, K., Miwa, S., Shiota, Y., Mizuochi, N. & Suzuki , Y. Voltage induction of interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in Au/Fe/MgO artificia l multilayer. Appl. Phys. Express 8, 063004 (2015)
work page 2015
-
[47]
Srivastava, T. et al. Large-voltage tuning of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactinos: a route toward dynamic control of skyrmion chirality. Nano Lett . 18, 4871 (2018)
work page 2018
-
[48]
Haug, H. & Jauho, A. P. Quantum Kinetics in Transport and Optics of Semiconductors (Springer, 2007)
work page 2007
-
[49]
Writing a skyrmion on mult iferroic materials
Mochizuki, M., & Watanabe, Y. Writing a skyrmion on mult iferroic materials. Appl. Phys. Lett. 107, 082409 (2015)
work page 2015
-
[50]
Mochizuki, M., Creation of skyrmions by electric field o n chiral lattice magnetic insulators. Adv. Electron. Mater. 2, 1500180 (2016)
work page 2016
-
[51]
Schott, M. et al. The skyrmion switch: Turning magnetic skyrmion bubbles on a nd off with an electric field. Nano Lett. 17, 3006 (2017)
work page 2017
-
[52]
Huang, P. et al. In situ electric field skyrmion creation in magnetoelectric Cu2OSeO3. Nano Lett. 18, 5167 (2018)
work page 2018
-
[53]
Kruchkov, A. J. et al. Direct E field control of the skyrmion phase in a magnetoelect ric insulator. Sci. Rep. 8, 10466 (2018)
work page 2018
-
[54]
Wang, L. et al. Ferroelectrically tunable magnetic skyrmions in ultrathi n oxide heterostruc- tures. Nat. Mat. 17, 1087 (2018)
work page 2018
-
[55]
Woo, S. et al. Observation of room-temperature magnetic skyrmions and th eir current-driven dynamics in ultrathin metallic ferromagnets. Nat. Mater. 15, 501 (2016)
work page 2016
-
[56]
Yu, G. et al. Room-Temperature Skyrmion Shift Device for Memory Applica tion. Nano Lett. 17, 261 (2017)
work page 2017
-
[57]
Jiang, W. et al. Blowing magnetic skyrmion bubbles. Science 349, 283 (2015)
work page 2015
-
[58]
Wang, W., Beg, M., Zhang, B., Kuch, W. & Fangohr, H. Drivi ng magnetic skyrmions with microwave fields. Phys. Rev. B 92, 020403(R) (2015)
work page 2015
-
[59]
Takeuchi, A. & Mochizuki, M. Selective activation of an isolated magnetic skyrmion in a ferromagnet with microwave electric fields. Appl. Phys. Lett. 113, 072404 (2018)
work page 2018
-
[60]
Ikka, M., Takeuchi, A. & Mochizuki, M. Resonance modes a nd microwave-driven translational 17 motion of a skyrmion crystal under an inclined magnetic field . Phys. Rev. B 98, 184428 (2018)
work page 2018
-
[61]
Liu, R. H., Lim, W. L. & Urazhdin, S. Control of current-i nduced spin-orbit effects in a ferromagnetic heterostructure by electric field. Phys. Rev. B 89, 220409(R) (2014)
work page 2014
-
[62]
Lv, W. et al. Electric-Field Control of Spin-Orbit Torques in WS 2/Permalloy Bilayers. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 10, 2843 (2018)
work page 2018
-
[63]
First-principles calculation of spin-orbit torque in a Co/Pt bilayer
Belashchenko, K. D., Kovalev, A. A. & van Schilfgaarde, M. First-principles calculation of the spin-orbit torques in a Co/Pt bilayer. arXiv:1810.11003
work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv
-
[64]
Gmitra, M., Kochan, D., H¨ ogl, P. & Fabian, J. Trivial an d inverted Dirac bands and the emergence of quantum spin Hall states in graphene on transit ion-metal dichalcogenides. Phys. Rev. B 93, 155104 (2016)
work page 2016
-
[65]
Nakamura, M. et al. Emergence of Topological Hall Effect in Half-Metallic Mangan ite Thin Films by Tuning Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy. J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 87, 074704 (2018). Acknowledgements This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI (Grant No. 17H02924 an d No. 16H06345), Waseda University Grant for Special Research Projects (Projec t Nos. 2017S-101, 20...
work page 2018
discussion (0)
Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.