Spin-dependent Seebeck coefficients of Ni 80Fe 20 and Co in nanopillar spin valves

Abstract

We have experimentally determined the spin-dependent Seebeck coefficient of permalloy (Ni 80Fe 20) and cobalt (Co) using nanopillar spin valve devices, a stack of two ferromagnetic layers separated by a nonmagnetic layer. The devices were specifically designed to separate heat-related effects from charge-related effects. A heat current, with no accompanying charge current, through the nanopillar spin valve leads to a thermovoltage proportional to the spin-dependent Seebeck coefficient S S=S-S of the ferromagnet, where S and S are the Seebeck coefficient for spin-up and spin-down electrons. By using a three-dimensional finite-element model based on spin-dependent thermoelectric theory, whose input material parameters were measured in separate devices, we were able to accurately determine a spin-dependent Seebeck coefficient of -1.8 μV K -1 and -4.5 μV K -1 for cobalt and permalloy, respectively, corresponding to a Seebeck coefficient polarization P S=S S/S F of 0.08 and 0.25, where S F is the Seebeck coefficient of the ferromagnet. The results are in agreement with earlier theoretical work in Co/Cu multilayers and spin-dependent Seebeck and spin-dependent Peltier measurements in Ni 80Fe 20/Cu spin valve structures. © 2012 American Physical Society.