Spin Hall Angle and Spin Diffusion Length of SrIrO3 via Hanle magnetoresistance

The Spin Hall Angle, θ, and the spin diffusion length, λ, are two parameters that describe a spin-orbit coupled material’s efficiency in transducing between charge and spin currents. The Hanle Magnetoresistance (1) is the result of spin precession and diffusion in the presence of an external magnetic field and spin Hall effect. The Hanle magnetoresistance provides a way of quantifying θ and λ without the need for neighboring magnetic materials or control over interfacial exchange. We apply this technique to thin films of SrIrO3 with varying thickness (10-30nm) on SrTiO3 substrates. SrIrO3 is a strong candidate for applications in spintroncs, owing to its’ previously measured θ of 0.1-0.4 in 5-15nm films (2). These measurements require the construction of a Kelvin resistance bridge to resolve magnetoresistance responses on the order of 1 part per million. We present initial measurements and discuss these results in the context of HMR physics and other magnetoresistive effects.