Tuning magnetocrystalline anisotropy by controlling the orbital electronic configuration of two-dimensional magnetic materials

A suitable magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) is a key factor for magnetic materials. However, an effective MAE control method has not yet been achieved. In this study, we propose a novel strategy to manipulate MAE by rearranging the d-orbitals of metal atoms with oxygen functionalized metallophthalocyanine (MPc) by first-principles calculations. By the dual regulation of electric field and atomic adsorption, we have achieved a substantial amplification of the single regulation method. The use of O atoms to modify the metallophthalocyanine (MPc) sheets effectively adjusts the orbital arrangement of the electronic configuration in the d-orbitals of the transition metal near the Fermi level, thereby modulating the MAE of the structure. More importantly, the electric field amplifies the effect of electric-field regulation by adjusting the distance between the O atom and metal atom. Our results demonstrate a new approach to modulating the MAE of two-dimensional magnetic films for practical application in information storage.

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.

Machine Learning Study of the Magnetic Ordering in 2D Materials

Magnetic materials have been applied in a large variety of technologies, from data storage to quantum devices. The development of two-dimensional (2D) materials has opened new arenas for magnetic compounds, even when classical theories discourage their examination. Here we propose a machine-learning-based strategy to predict and understand magnetic ordering in 2D materials. This strategy couples the prediction of the existence of magnetism in 2D materials using a random forest and the Shapley additive explanations method with material maps defined by atomic features predicting the magnetic ordering (ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic). While the random forest model predicts magnetism with an accuracy of 86%, the material maps obtained by the sure independence screening and sparsifying method have an accuracy of ∼90% in predicting the magnetic ordering. Our model indicates that 3d transition metals, halides, and structural clusters with regular transition-metal sublattices have a positive contribution in the total weight deciding the existence of magnetism in 2D compounds. This behavior is associated with the competition between crystal field and exchange splitting. The machine learning model also indicates that the atomic spin orbit coupling (SOC) is a determinant feature for the identification of the patterns separating ferro- from antiferromagnetic order. The proposed strategy is used to identify novel 2D magnetic compounds that, together with the fundamental trends in the chemical and structural space, pave novel routes for experimental exploration.

Design of 2D materials - MSi2CxN4-x (M = Cr, Mo, and W; x = 1 and 2) - with tunable electronic and magnetic properties

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted increasing interest in the past decades due to their unique physical and chemical properties for diverse applications. In this work, we present a first-principles design on a novel 2D family, MSi₂C_xN_4-x (M = Cr, Mo, and W; x = 1 and 2), based on density-functional theory (DFT). We find that all MSi₂C_xN_4-x monolayers are stable by investigating their mechanic, dynamic, and thermodynamic properties. Interestingly, we see that the alignment of magnetic moments can be tuned to achieve non-magnetism (NM), ferromagnetism (FM), anti-ferromagnetism (AFM) or paramagnetism (PM) by arranging the positions of carbon atoms in the 2D systems. Accordingly, their electronic properties can be controlled to obtain semiconductor, half-metal, or metal. The FM states in half-metallic 2D systems are contributed to the hole-mediated double exchange, while the AFM states are induced by super-exchange. Our findings show that the physical properties of 2D systems can be tuned by compositional and structural engineering, especially the layer of C atoms, which may provide guidance on the design and fabrication of novel 2D materials with projected properties for multi-functional applications.

Polymorphism in Post-Dichalcogenide Two-Dimensional Materials

Two-dimensional (2D) materials exhibit a wide range of atomic structures, compositions, and associated versatility of properties. Furthermore, for a given composition, a variety of different crystal structures (i.e., polymorphs) can be observed. Polymorphism in 2D materials presents a fertile landscape for designing novel architectures and imparting new functionalities. The objective of this Review is to identify the polymorphs of emerging 2D materials, describe their polymorph-dependent properties, and outline methods used for polymorph control. Since traditional 2D materials (e.g., graphene, hexagonal boron nitride, and transition metal dichalcogenides) have already been studied extensively, the focus here is on polymorphism in post-dichalcogenide 2D materials including group III, IV, and V elemental 2D materials, layered group III, IV, and V metal chalcogenides, and 2D transition metal halides. In addition to providing a comprehensive survey of recent experimental and theoretical literature, this Review identifies the most promising opportunities for future research including how 2D polymorph engineering can provide a pathway to materials by design.