Intrinsic ferromagnetism and topological properties in two-dimensional rhenium halides

Multiferroic Tuning of Magnetic Anisotropy in MnTe2 Monolayer with Li/Na Adsorption

Two-dimensional (2D) magnetic materials with tunable magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) are of great scientific interest and hold immense promise for ultracompact spintronic devices with lower energy consumption and higher storage density. Here, we demonstrate a practical approach for manipulating MAE in layered MnTe2 through the alkali metal adsorption and ferroelectric (FE) polarization effect. Our results reveal colossal MAE values of up to -12.428 erg/cm2 under Li/Na adsorption, accompanied by a spin reorientation and enhanced ferromagnetic (FM) coupling stability. Their negative MAE show a linear enhancement in response to the external strain. Moreover, we find that the FE In2Se3 substrate enhances the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) of MnTe2 up to 2.318 erg/cm2 depending on the polarization direction. Ferroelectric switching at In2Se3-based interfaces could also induce significant MAE changes with the value of 3.838 erg/cm2. We elucidate that the underlying mechanisms for these modulations are primarily attributed to alterations in the electron occupancy of interfacial Te1-derived py and pz states, which affect their competitive spin-orbit coupling (SOC) strengths. These findings highlight the potential of interfacial engineering in tailoring magnetism in 2D materials, opening exciting possibilities for the development of advanced spintronic devices with enhanced functionality.

Multiple Topological Phases with Electronic Correlation in Intrinsic Ferromagnetic Semimetal VI3 Monolayer

2D topological materials with magnetic ordering have become hot topics due to their nontrivial band topology and quantum states. In this work, the second-order topological states and evolution of linear band crossing are successfully predicted utilizing the effective k· p and tight binding models in the intrinsic ferromagnetic VI3 monolayer under various effective Hubble interaction Ueff. Upon inclusion of spin orbit coupling, a small bandgap (Eg-1) of 12.7 meV is opened with a Chern invariant C = -1 at Ueff = 0 eV. The Eg-1 undergoes a transition from the non-trivial state to trivial state at Ueff = 0.80 eV, accompanied by the appearance of Dirac cone. Remarkably, the increase of Ueff causes the band inversion and adjustment of crystal symmetry, resulting in two unreported coexisting topological bandgaps (Eg-2 and Eg-3). Furthermore, a gapless node-loop appears at Ueff = 1.06 eV and disappears at Ueff = 1.09 eV around Γ point. Moreover, for the first time, the existence of second-order topological states with quantized corner fractional charges (e/3) is also observed in the VI3 monolayer at Ueff ≥0.96 eV. These results make the VI3 monolayer a compelling candidate for exploring topological devices.

Magnetoelectric Tuning of 2D Ferromagnetism in 1T-CrTe2 through In2Se3 Substrate

Electric field control of two-dimensional (2D) materials with optimized magnetic properties is not only of scientific interest but also of technological importance in terms of the functionality of various nanoscale devices. Here, we report the multiferroic control of the 2D ferromagnetism in 1T-CrTe2 monolayer through a ferroelectric In2Se3 sublayer. Our results reveal the effect of polarization switching on the electronic structures and magnetic properties of 1T-CrTe2/In2Se3 heterostructures, enabling effective manipulation of their magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) and magnetization orientation. Additionally, we also demonstrate the strong dependence of their MAE and switching effect on the external strain and surface hydrogenation. Notably, polarization switching exhibits a reversal modification in the hydrogenated multiferroic structures. These tunable behaviors are primarily attributed to the alteration of p-orbitals near the Fermi level of the interfacial Te atoms due to magnetoelectric coupling. Our findings suggest the potential of 1T-CrTe2/In2Se3 heterojunctions for the practical application of 2D multiferroic spintronic devices.

Theoretical study of piezoelectric and light absorption properties, and carrier mobilities of Janus TiPX (X = F, Cl, and Br) monolayers

Janus TiPX (X = F, Cl, and Br) monolayers were systematically investigated through first-principles calculations. The Janus TiPX monolayers exhibit mechanical and dynamic stability. Two monolayers are indirect bandgap semiconductors, except the TiPBr monolayer, which has the features of a quasi-direct bandgap semiconductor. Biaxial strain can modify the band gap of single layers. The Janus TiPX monolayers have remarkable flexibility and piezoelectric properties. In particular, the TiPF monolayer shows high horizontal (44.18 pm V-1) and vertical piezoelectric coefficients (-3.59 pm V-1). These values exceed those of conventional bulk materials, like GaN (3.1 pm V-1) and α-quartz (2.3 pm V-1). All of the monolayers have absorption coefficients of 105 cm-1 for visible and ultraviolet (UV) light, which are one order of magnitude greater than that of MoSSe. Furthermore, TiPX monolayers have high carrier mobility. Janus TiPX monolayers represent a class of two-dimensional (2D) materials with exceptional properties and multifunctionality, holding significant promise for various applications in piezoelectric sensors, solar cells, and nano-electronic devices.

Prediction of a two-dimensional high Curie temperature Weyl nodal line kagome semimetal

Kagome lattices may have numerous exotic physical properties, such as stable ferromagnetism and topological states. Herein, combining the particle swarm structure search method with first-principles calculations, we identify a two-dimensional (2D) kagome Mo2Se3 crystal structure with space group P6/mmm. The results show that 2D kagome Mo2Se3 is a 100% spin-polarized topological nodal line semimetal and exhibits excellent ambient stability. The band crossing points form two nodal loops around the high-symmetry points Γ and K. On the other hand, Mo2Se3 shows intrinsic ferromagnetism with a large magnetic moment of 3.05 μB per Mo atom and magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) of 4.78 meV. Monte Carlo simulations estimate that Mo2Se3 possesses a high Curie temperature of about 673 K. In addition, its ferromagnetic ground state can be well preserved under external strain, and the MAE can be improved by increasing the strain. More importantly, the position of each nodal line can be adjusted to the Fermi level through hole doping. This multifunctional 2D magnetic material that combines spin and topology has great potential in the field of nanoscale spintronic devices.

Stable room-temperature ferromagnetism and gate-tunable quantum anomalous Hall effect of two-dimensional 5d transition-metal trihalide OsX3 (X = Cl, Br, I) monolayers

5d transition-metal compounds are usually not expected to exhibit distinct magnetic ordering owing to their substantial binding energy associated with 5d electrons. In this study, we demonstrate that two-dimensional (2D) 5d transition-metal Os trihalide OsX3 monolayers can exhibit room-temperature ferromagnetism and quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE) by utilizing density functional theory and Monte Carlo simulation. Our calculation results of coexisting Raman and infrared activities of lattice vibration reveal the structural stability of 2D OsX3 (X = Cl, Br, I) and structural instability of 2D OsX3 (X = F). Furthermore, all 2D OsX3 trihalides (X = Cl, Br, I) are half-metals, and their ferromagnetism remains stable under ambient temperature, where 2D OsCl3 and OsBr3 have an in-plane easy axis while 2D OsI3 has an out-of-plane easy axis. Notably, when spin-orbit coupling is included, the gate-tunable QAHE could emerge in ferromagnetic 2D OsI3, while 2D OsCl3 and OsBr3 are topologically trivial. Additionally, the magnon bands of 2D OsX3 (X = Cl, Br, I) possess two spin-wave branches with dispersion similar to that of the Dirac cone in the electronic structure of graphene, which are attributed to the unique ferromagnetic honeycomb sublattice of osmium atoms.

Tunable electronic band structure and magnetic anisotropy in two-dimensional Dirac half-metal MnBr3 by external stimulus: strain, magnetization direction, and interlayer coupling

Advancing technology and growing interdisciplinary fields create the need for new materials that simultaneously possess several significant physics qualities to meet human demands. Dirac half-metals with massless fermions hold great promise in spintronic devices and optoelectronic devices associated with nontrivial band topologies. In this work, we predict that a MnBr3 monolayer will be an intrinsic Dirac half-metal based on first-principles calculations. The lattice dynamics and thermodynamic stabilities were demonstrated by calculating the phonon spectra and performing molecular dynamics simulations. One property of a MnBr3 monolayer is that facile magnetization of its in-plane can be accomplished. A change in the magnetization direction significantly modifies the electronic band structure. When considering the spin-orbit coupling effect, the Dirac cone around the Fermi level in the spin-up channel opens a gap of 35 meV, which becomes a topological nontrivial insulator with a Chern number of -1. The Chern number sign and the chiral edge current can be tuned by changing the magnetization direction. The electronic band structure and magnetic anisotropy energy can be further modulated by applying biaxial and uniaxial strain, as well as introducing interlayer coupling in the bilayer. The unique performance of MnBr3 will broaden the utilization of two-dimensional magnetism in widespread application.

Theoretical studies on electronic, magnetic and optical properties of two dimensional transition metal trihalides

Two dimensional transition metal trihalides have drawn attention over the years due to their intrinsic ferromagnetism and associated large anisotropy at nanoscale. The interactions involved in these layered structures are of van der Waals types which are important for exfoliation to different thin samples. This enables one to compare the journey of physical properties from bulk structures to monolayer counterpart. In this topical review, the modulation of electronic, magnetic and optical properties by strain engineering, alloying, doping, defect engineering etc have been discussed extensively. The results obtained by first principle density functional theory calculations are verified by recent experimental observations. The relevant experimental synthesis of different morphological transition metal trihalides are highlighted. The feasibility of such routes may indicate other possible heterostructures. Apart from spintronics based applications, transition metal trihalides are potential candidates in sensing and data storage. Moreover, high thermoelectric figure of merit of chromium trihalides at higher temperatures leads to the possibility of multi-purpose applications. We hope this review will give important directions to further research in transition metal trihalide systems having tunable band gap with reduced dimensionalities.

Layer dependent magnetism and topology in monolayer and bilayers ReX3(XBr, I)

The realization of robust intrinsic ferromagnetism in two-dimensional materials with the possibility to support topologically non-trivial states has provided the fertile ground for novel physics and next-generation spintronics and quantum computing applications. In this contribution, we investigated the formation of topological states and magnetism in monolayer and bilayer systems of ReX₃(X= Br, I), with PBE, ACBN0 (self-consistent Hubbard-U), excluding/including van der Waals (vdW) corrections and/or spin-orbit coupling. Bulk ReX₃(X= Br, I) is predicted to crystallize in space groupR3¯(#148), similar to CrI₃, with monolayer exfoliation energies that are comparable or less than that of graphite. The topological character of the monolayer and bilayer systems of ReX₃(X= Br, I) is derived from anomalous Hall conductivity computations. Topologically non-trivial states in ReX₃(X= Br, I) are absent in the Hubbard-Ucomputations if vdW interactions are included, a prediction that is attributed to the large Hubbard-Udifference between the chemical constituents, ΔU∼ 1.5-1.6 eV, and a significant ∼2.0%-3.6% compressive in-plane strain introduced by vdW interactions. In contrast to the fragile and likely absent topological states in ReX₃(X= Br, I), magnetic properties are robust and independent of the level of theory: ferromagnetic monolayers are coupled antiferromagnetically to bilayers, with an energy separation between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic bilayer spin configurations that could be as low as 0.02 meV/Re (f= 4.8 GHz), well within the microwave range. This suggests that layer dependent magnetism in ReX₃(X= Br, I) may support a microwave controllable magnetic qubit, consisting of a superposition of antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic bilayer states.

Two-dimensional magnetic materials: structures, properties and external controls

Since the discovery of intrinsic ferromagnetism in atomically thin Cr2Gr2Te6 and CrI3 in 2017, research on two-dimensional (2D) magnetic materials has become a highlighted topic. Based on 2D magnetic materials and their heterostructures, exotic physical phenomena at the atomically thin limit have been discovered, such as the quantum anomalous Hall effect, magneto-electric multiferroics, and magnon valleytronics. Furthermore, magnetism in these ultrathin magnets can be effectively controlled by external perturbations, such as electric field, strain, doping, chemical functionalization, and stacking engineering. These attributes make 2D magnets ideal platforms for fundamental research and promising candidates for various spintronic applications. This review aims at providing an overview of the structures, properties, and external controls of 2D magnets, as well as the challenges and potential opportunities in this field.

The intrinsic magnetism, quantum anomalous Hall effect and Curie temperature in 2D transition metal trihalides

It has been theoretically demonstrated that 2D transition metal trihalides can host the QAH effect.

Prediction of colossal magnetocrystalline anisotropy for transition metal triiodides

In virtue of first principle calculations based on density functional theory, we have investigated the magnetism of transition metal triiodides XI₃ (X  =  Cr, Mn, Fe, Mo, Tc, Ru, W, Re, Os) monolayers. Our results indicate that CrI₃, TcI₃, RuI₃, ReI₃ and OsI₃ monolayers are ferromagnetic (FM), while MnI₃, FeI₃, MoI₃ and WI₃ monolayers are antiferromagnetic (AFM). Interestingly, TcI₃, RuI₃, ReI₃ and OsI₃ monolayers have considerable magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE). Especially, ReI₃ monolayer exhibits the largest MAE (-36.22 meV/ReI₃) in known two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) crystals. We further demonstrate that biaxial strain can greatly change MAEs of ReI₃ and OsI₃ monolayers. From the electronic structure analysis, the change in MAE is mainly attributed from the charge transfer between the a and e ₂ states induced by biaxial strain. In addition, we have also found that a tensile strain can lead to a phase transition of ReI₃ from FM to AFM. We predicted that 2D FM XI₃ monolayers are promising candidates for the application in tunable magnetic storage technology.

High spin polarization in formamidinium transition metal iodides: first principles prediction of novel half-metals and spin gapless semiconductors

The electronic structure and magnetic properties of ten formamidinium transition metal iodides in the ground state and under strain have been studied. These formamidinium transition metal iodides have a stable cubic perovskite structure. In the ground state, FAVI3 is a spin gapless semiconductor, and FAScI3, FATiI3, FACrI3, FAFeI3, FACoI3 and FANiI3 are ferromagnetic half-metals. They all have 100% spin polarization and integer total magnetic moment. Under the action of strain, the high spin polarization of some formamidinium transition metal iodides can still be well maintained, and several novel spin gapless semiconductors such as FATiI3, FAFeI3 and FACoI3 have been discovered. Magnetic studies show that these formamidinium transition metal iodides with half-metal, semiconductor and spin-gapless semiconductor properties have integral total magnetic moments under strain ranging from -10.0% to 10.0%. These newly discovered half-metallic ferromagnetic materials and spin gapless semiconductors have broad application prospects in the field of spintronics due to their high spin polarization.