Layer-Dependent Magnetism and Spin Fluctuations in Atomically Thin van der Waals Magnet CrPS<sub>4</sub>
Mengqi Huang, Jazmine C. Green, Jingcheng Zhou, Violet Williams, Senlei Li, Hanyi Lu, Dziga Djugba, Hailong Wang, Benedetta Flebus, Ni Ni, Chunhui Du
Abstract
van der Waals (vdW) magnets, an emerging family of two-dimensional (2D) materials, have received tremendous attention due to their rich fundamental physics and significant potential for cutting-edge technological applications. In contrast to the conventional bulk counterparts, vdW magnets exhibit significant tunability of local material properties, such as stacking engineered interlayer coupling and layer-number dependent magnetic and electronic interactions, which promise to deliver previously unavailable merits to develop multifunctional microelectronic devices. As a further ingredient of this emerging topic, here we report nanoscale quantum sensing and imaging of the atomically thin vdW magnet chromium thiophosphate CrPS 4, revealing its characteristic layer-dependent 2D static magnetism and dynamic spin fluctuations. We also show a large tunneling magnetoresistance in CrPS 4 -based spin filter vdW heterostructures. The excellent material stability and robust strategy against environmental degradation in combination with tailored magnetic properties highlight the potential of CrPS 4 in developing state-of-the-art 2D spintronic devices for next-generation information technologies.