The recent discovery of ferromagnetism in two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) materials holds promises for spintronic devices with exceptional properties. However, to use 2D vdW magnets for building spintronic nanodevices such as magnetic memories, key challenges remain in terms of effectively switching the magnetization from one state to the other electrically. Here, we devise a bilayer structure of Fe3GeTe2/Pt, in which the magnetization of few-layered Fe3GeTe2 can be effectively switched by the spin-orbit torques (SOTs) originated from the current flowing in the Pt layer. The effective magnetic fields corresponding to the SOTs are further quantitatively characterized using harmonic measurements. Our demonstration of the SOT-driven magnetization switching in a 2D vdW magnet could pave the way for implementing low-dimensional materials in the next-generation spintronic applications.

Room temperature magnetic skyrmions in magnetic multilayers are considered as information carriers for future spintronic applications. Currently, a detailed understanding of the skyrmion stabilization mechanisms is still lacking in these systems. To gain more insight, it is first and foremost essential to determine the full real‐space spin configuration. Here, two advanced X‐ray techniques are applied, based on magnetic circular dichroism, to investigate the spin textures of skyrmions in [Ta/CoFeB/MgO]n multilayers. First, by using ptychography, a high‐resolution diffraction imaging technique, the 2D out‐of‐plane spin profile of skyrmions with a spatial resolution of 10 nm is determined. Second, by performing circular dichroism in resonant elastic X‐ray scattering, it is demonstrated that the chirality of the magnetic structure undergoes a depth‐dependent evolution. This suggests that the skyrmion structure is a complex 3D structure rather than an identical planar texture throughout the layer stack. The analyses of the spin textures confirm the theoretical predictions that the dipole–dipole interactions together with the external magnetic field play an important role in stabilizing sub‐100 nm diameter skyrmions and the hybrid structure of the skyrmion domain wall. This combined X‐ray‐based approach opens the door for in‐depth studies of magnetic skyrmion systems, which allows for precise engineering of optimized skyrmion heterostructures.

Spin-orbit torque (SOT) provides an ultrafast and energy-efficient means to switch magnetization, which is of fundamental and technical importance for spintronic devices. [1][2][3][4][5] A typical SOT device consists of heavy metal/ferromagnet (HM/FM) bilayer, where the HM (e.g., Pt, W, Ta, etc.) converts charge current into spin current mainly due to the spin Hall effect (SHE) and then exerts a torque on the adjacent FM enabling magnetization manipulation. To improve the energy efficiency of SOT-driven magnetization switching, considerable efforts have been made to enhance the charge-spin conversion efficiency of HM [6][7][8][9] and reduce the shunting current in the FM. [10,11] Engineering the bilayer structure [9,12] or replacing HM by novel materials with larger charge-spin conversion efficiency and higher conductivity [10,13,14] are possible avenues to realize higher SOT efficiency. Manipulation of magnetization by electric-current-induced spin-orbit torque (SOT) is of great importance for spintronic applications because of its merits in energy-efficient and high-speed operation. An ideal material for SOT applications should possess high charge-spin conversion efficiency and high electrical conductivity. Recently, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) emerge as intriguing platforms for SOT study because of their controllability in spin-orbit coupling, conductivity, and energy band topology. Although TMDs show great potentials in SOT applications, the present study is restricted to the mechanically exfoliated samples with small sizes and relatively low conductivities.Here, a manufacturable recipe is developed to fabricate large-area thin films of PtTe 2 , a type-II Dirac semimetal, to study their capability of generating SOT. Large SOT efficiency together with high conductivity results in a giant spin Hall conductivity of PtTe 2 thin films, which is the largest value among the presently reported TMDs. It is further demonstrated that the SOT from PtTe 2 layer can switch a perpendicularly magnetized CoTb layer efficiently. This work paves the way for employing PtTe 2 -like TMDs for wafer-scale spintronic device applications.