Beta-tungsten

<p>Beta-tungsten (β-W) is a <a href="/facts/Metastability/H72SMWof">metastable phase</a> of <a href="/facts/Tungsten/WYwbNDYX">tungsten</a> widely observed in tungsten <a href="/facts/Thin_film/nSeoUT4Q">thin films</a>. While the commonly existing stable alpha-tungsten (α-W) has a <a href="/facts/Body-centered_cubic/92Co7BKM">body-centered cubic</a> (<a href="/facts/Strukturbericht_designation/9uLQ8Ijs">A2</a>) structure, β-W adopts the topologically close-packed <a href="/facts/A15_phases/I199cR4x">A15</a> structure containing eight atoms per unit cell, and it irreversibly transforms to the stable α phase through <a href="/facts/Annealing_(materials_science)/2AfoCE4X">thermal annealing</a> of up to 650 °C. It has been found that β-W possesses the giant <a href="/facts/Spin_Hall_effect/9RaoUX5X">spin Hall effect</a>, wherein the applied charge current generates a transverse <a href="/facts/Spin_current/GJgogobh">spin current</a>, and this leads to potential applications in <a href="/facts/Magnetoresistance/nlDGnyrw">magnetoresistive</a> random access memory devices.
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Beta-tungsten open-in-new

Beta-tungsten