Interfacial orbital transmission, conversion, and mechanical torque in metals

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Sun, Chi, Go, Dongwook, Mokrousov, Yuriy, Linder, Jacob, Manchon, Aurelien
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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_version_ 1866914338823995392
author Sun, Chi
Go, Dongwook
Mokrousov, Yuriy
Linder, Jacob
Manchon, Aurelien
author_facet Sun, Chi
Go, Dongwook
Mokrousov, Yuriy
Linder, Jacob
Manchon, Aurelien
contents Interfacial orbital transport remains far less understood than its bulk counterpart despite its central role in orbitronic experiments. Here, we theoretically investigate the transmission and conversion of orbital angular momentum across a metallic interface using a model Hamiltonian incorporating crystal-field effects. We show that an injected orbital dipole moment undergoes pronounced oscillations driven by the crystal field and generates characteristic quadrupole moments determined by the orbital orientation relative to the interface. Unlike spin precession, the dipole relaxes toward a finite value away from the interface. We further quantify interfacial orbital memory loss and demonstrate that orbital absorption produces a sizable mechanical torque obtained from the orbital continuity equation.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2602_17220
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Interfacial orbital transmission, conversion, and mechanical torque in metals
Sun, Chi
Go, Dongwook
Mokrousov, Yuriy
Linder, Jacob
Manchon, Aurelien
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Interfacial orbital transport remains far less understood than its bulk counterpart despite its central role in orbitronic experiments. Here, we theoretically investigate the transmission and conversion of orbital angular momentum across a metallic interface using a model Hamiltonian incorporating crystal-field effects. We show that an injected orbital dipole moment undergoes pronounced oscillations driven by the crystal field and generates characteristic quadrupole moments determined by the orbital orientation relative to the interface. Unlike spin precession, the dipole relaxes toward a finite value away from the interface. We further quantify interfacial orbital memory loss and demonstrate that orbital absorption produces a sizable mechanical torque obtained from the orbital continuity equation.
title Interfacial orbital transmission, conversion, and mechanical torque in metals
topic Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.17220