Since the celebrated discovery of graphene 1,2 , the family of two-dimensional (2D) materials has grown to encompass a broad range of electronic properties. Recent additions include spin-valley coupled semiconductors 3 , Ising superconductors 4-6 that can be tuned into a quantum metal 7 , possible Mott insulators with tunable charge-density waves 8 , and topological semi-metals with edge transport 9,10 . Despite this progress, there is still no 2D crystal with intrinsic magnetism [11][12][13][14][15][16] , which would be useful for many technologies such as sensing, information, and data storage 17 . Theoretically, magnetic order is prohibited in the 2D isotropic Heisenberg model at finite temperatures by the Mermin-Wagner theorem 18 . However, magnetic anisotropy removes this restriction and enables, for instance, the occurrence of 2D Ising ferromagnetism. Here, we use magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) microscopy to demonstrate that monolayer chromium triiodide (CrI3) is an Ising ferromagnet with out-of-plane spin orientation. Its Curie temperature of 45 K is only slightly lower than the 61 K of the bulk crystal, consistent with a weak interlayer coupling. Moreover, our studies suggest a layer-dependent magnetic phase transition, showcasing the hallmark thickness-dependent physical properties typical of van der Waals crystals 19-21 . Remarkably, bilayer CrI3 displays suppressed magnetization with a metamagnetic effect 22 , while in trilayer the interlayer ferromagnetism observed in the bulk crystal is restored. Our work creates opportunities for studying magnetism by harnessing the unique features of atomically-thin materials, such as electrical control for realizing magnetoelectronics 13,23 , and van der Waals engineering for novel interface phenomena 17 .
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Main Text:Magnetic anisotropy is an important requirement for realizing 2D magnetism. In ultrathin metallic films, an easy-axis can originate from symmetry reduction at the interface/surface, which hinges on substrate properties and interface quality [24][25][26] . In contrast, most van der Waals magnets have an intrinsic magnetocrystalline anisotropy due to the reduced crystal symmetry of their layered structures. This offers the coveted possibility to retain a magnetic ground state in the monolayer limit. In addition to studying magnetism in naturally formed crystals in the true 2D limit, layered magnets provide a platform for studying the thickness dependence of magnetism in isolated single crystals where the interaction with the underlying substrate is weak. Namely, the covalently bonded van der Waals layers prevent complex magnetization reorientations induced by epitaxial lattice reconstruction and strain 23 . For layered materials, these advantages come at a low fabrication cost, since the micromechanical exfoliation technique 27 is much simpler than conventional approaches requiring sputtering or sophisticated molecular beam epitaxy.A variety of layered magnetic compounds have recently drawn increased interest due to the possibility of re...