• Accepted Paper

Dominant spin Hall torque and negligible orbital Hall torque in α-W/ferromagnet heterostructures with self-torque-free angular momentum detectors

Taiyang Zhang, Lujun Zhu, Qianbiao Liu, and Lijun Zhu

Phys. Rev. B - Accepted 12 November, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/5np7-v863

Abstract

α-phased W was theoretically predicted to have a negative spin Hall conductivity and a positive orbital Hall conductivity at the same time, leaving the physical origin of the current-induced torque a critical open question. In this letter, we develop two symmetric angular momentum detectors of Cu/Ni/Cu and Cu/Fe60Co20B20/Cu that are free of self-induced spin and orbital torque. We clarify that the spin-orbit torque contributed by α-W remains negative and predominantly from the spin Hall effect in the entire thickness regime. The damping-like torque exhibits a monotonic decay as the α-W thickness increases above 5 nm likely due to the thickness-dependent structural evolution and resistivity reduction of the α-W layer. The negative torque in the entire thickness regime suggests negligible orbital Hall torque from α-W. This result is consistent with the theory that the orbital Hall effect from simplified band structure calculations is not a non-local angular momentum source.

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