  As a topological Dirac semimetal with controllable spin-orbit coupling and
conductivity, PtSe$_2$, a transition-metal dichalcogenide, is a promising
material for several applications from optoelectric to sensors. However, its
potential for spintronics applications is yet to be explored. In this work, we
demonstrate that PtSe$_{2}$/Ni$_{80}$Fe$_{20}$ heterostructure can generate a
large damping-like current-induced spin-orbit torques (SOT), despite the
absence of spin-splitting in bulk PtSe$_{2}$. The efficiency of charge-to-spin
conversion is found to be $(-0.1 \pm 0.02)$~nm$^{-1}$ in
PtSe$_{2}$/Ni$_{80}$Fe$_{20}$, which is three times that of the control sample,
Ni$_{80}$Fe$_{20}$/Pt. Our band structure calculations show that the SOT due to
the PtSe$_2$ arises from an unexpectedly large spin splitting in the
interfacial region of PtSe$_2$ introduced by the proximity magnetic field of
the Ni$_{80}$Fe$_{20}$ layer. Our results open up the possibilities of using
large-area PtSe$_{2}$ for energy-efficient nanoscale devices by utilizing the
proximity-induced SOT.
