Control of magnetism in bilayer CrI ₃ by an external electric field

Abstract

Recently intrinsic ferromagnetism in two-dimensional(2D) van der Waals materials was discovered [1,2,3]. A monolayer of Chromiun triiodide(CrI 3 ) is ferromagnetic while a bilayer structure was reported to be anti-ferro magnetic, moreover an external electric field changes its magnetic phase [4]. We have studied the two found in nature stackings of CrI 3 bilayers and found that indeed the magnetic phase of one of them can be tuned by an external electric field while the other remains ferromagnetic. We simulate those results with ab initio calculations and explain them with a simple model based on a rigid shift of the bands associated with different spins. The model can be applied to similar van der Waal stacked insulating bilayer anti-ferromagnets. arXiv:1811.11910v1 [cond-mat.mtrl-sci] 29 Nov 2018Control of magnetism in bilayer CrI 3 by an external electric field.

Orbitally-resolved ferromagnetism of monolayer CrI3

“…On the theory side, a large number of studies was devoted to a microscopic analysis of magnetism in 2D CrI 3 and its analogues [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]. Most of them were based on first-principles calculations (density functional theory and beyond) with direct mapping on the Heisenberg model.…”

High-throughput computational screening for two-dimensional magnetic materials based on experimental databases of three-dimensional compounds

“…Most notably, CrBr 3 3 , which have properties very similar to CrI 3 but with lower Curie temperatures of 34 K due to smaller magnetic anisotropy, Fe 3 GeTe 2 , which is metallic and has a Curie temperature of 130 K 4 , FePS 3 5 which is antiferromagnetic with an ordering temperature of 118 K, and VSe 2 where some evidence has been provided for ferromagnetic order at room temperature 6 although the presence of magnetism is being debated 7 . In addition, several studies of magnetism in bilayers of various 2D materials have demonstrated that interlayer magnetic coupling can give rise to a plethora of new physical properties [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] .…”

Evolution of interlayer and intralayer magnetism in three atomically thin chromium trihalides

“…The recent discoveries of magnetism in the monolayer limit have opened a new avenue for two-dimensional (2D) materials research [1][2][3][4] . Already, several groups have reported a giant tunnel magnetoresistance effect across ultrathin CrI3 layers [5][6][7][8] as well as electric field control of their magnetic properties [9][10][11][12][13][14] . As with CrI3, the entire family of magnetic chromium trihalides (CrX3, X = Cl, Br, and I) possess a layered structure together with relatively strong (weak) in-plane (out-ofplane) exchange coupling [15][16][17][18][19][20] , prompting a thorough investigation of the interlayer and intralayer magnetic properties of all three materials in the two-dimensional (2D) limit.…”