We report systematic measurements of the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (iDMI) by employing Brillouin light scattering in Pt/Co/AlOx and Ta/Pt/Co/AlOx structures. By introducing a tantalum buffer layer, the saturation magnetization and the interfacial perpendicular magnetic anisotropy are significantly improved due to the better interface between heavy metal and ferromagnetic layer. From the frequency shift between Stokes- and anti-Stokes spin-waves, we successively obtain considerably larger iDM energy densities (Dmax = 1.65 ± 0.13 mJ/m2 at tCo = 1.35 nm) upon adding the Ta buffer layer, despite the nominally identical interface materials. Moreover, the energy density shows an inverse proportionality with the Co layer thickness, which is the critical clue that the observed iDMI is indeed originating from the interface between the Pt and Co layers.

The interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (iDMI), surface anisotropy energy, and spin pumping at the Ir/Co interface are experimentally investigated by performing Brillouin light scattering. Contrary to previous reports, we suggest that the sign of the iDMI at the Ir/Co interface is the same as in the case of the Pt/Co interface. We also find that the magnitude of the iDMI energy density is relatively smaller than in the case of the Pt/Co interface, despite the large strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) of Ir. The saturation magnetization and the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) energy are significantly improved due to a strong SOC. Our findings suggest that an SOC in an Ir/Co system behaves in different ways for iDMI and PMA. Finally, we determine the spin pumping effect at the Ir/Co interface, and it increases the Gilbert damping constant from 0.012 to 0.024 for 1.5 nmthick Co. a)

We investigate the role of top and bottom interfaces in inversion symmetry-breaking Pt/Co/AlOx systems by inserting ultra-thin Cu layers. Wedge-type ultrathin Cu layers (0-0.5 nm) are introduced between Pt/Co or Co/AlOx interfaces. Interface sensitive physical quantities such as the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (iDMI) energy density, the interfacial perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (iPMA), and the magneto-optical Kerr effects (MOKE) are systematically measured as a function of Cu-insertion layer thickness. We find that the Cu-insertion layer in the bottom interface (Pt/Co) plays a more important role in iDMI, PMA, and MOKE. In contrast, the top interface (Co/AlOx) noticeably contributes to only PMA, while its contributions to iDMI and MOKE enhancement are less significant. Although the PMA mainly comes from the bottom interface (Pt/Co), the Cu-insertion layers of all interfaces (Pt/Co, Co/AlOx) influence PMA. For iDMI, only the Cu-insertion layer in the bottom interface exerts SOC suppression which leads iDMI energy to decrease rapidly.

The interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (iDMI) and the interfacial perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (iPMA) between a heavy metal and ferromagnet are investigated by employing Brillouin light scattering. With increasing thickness of the heavy-metal (Pt) layer, the iDMI and iPMA energy densities are rapidly enhanced and they saturate for a Pt thickness of 2.4 nm. Since these two individual magnetic properties show the same Pt thickness dependence, this is evidence that the iDMI and iPMA at the interface between the heavy metal and ferromagnet, the physical origin of these phenomena, are effectively enhanced upon increasing the thickness of the heavy-metal layer.

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