Magnetization switching driven by spin-orbit torque of Weyl semimetal WTe<sub>2</sub>

Abstract

The Wely semimetal WTe<sub>2</sub> exhibits significant spin-orbit coupling characteristics and can generate unconventional spin current with out-of-plane polarization, which has become a hotspot in recent years. Meanwhile, WTe<sub>2</sub> also has high charge-spin conversion efficiency, allowing perpendicular magnetization to be switched deterministically without the assistance of an external magnetic field, which is critical for the high-density integration of low-power magnetic random-access memories. The purpose of this paper is to review the recent advances in the research on spin orbit torque in heterostructures composed of WTe<sub>2</sub> and ferromagnetic layers, focusing on progress of research on the detection and magnetization switching in the spin orbit torque of heterojunctions composed of WTe<sub>2</sub> prepared by different methods (e.g. mechanical exfoliation and chemical vapor deposition) and ferromagnetic layers such as conventional magnets (e.g, FeNi and CoFeB, etc.) and two-dimensional magnets (e.g. Fe<sub>3</sub>GeTe<sub>2</sub>, etc.). Finally, the prospect of related research is discussed.