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Persistence of Magnetism in Atomically Thin MnPS3 Crystals
Gen Long1,2, Hugo Henck1,2, Marco Gibertini1,3
1Department of Quantum Matter Physics, University of Geneva, 24 Quai Ernest Ansermet, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
Nano Letters
|March 7, 2020
Summary
Tunnel magnetoresistance measurements can probe magnetism in layered antiferromagnets like MnPS3. This study confirms magnetism persists down to individual monolayers, opening new avenues for spintronic devices.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science
- Spintronics
Background:
- Atomically thin layered antiferromagnets offer potential for novel electronic and spintronic applications.
- Probing the magnetic state of intralayer antiferromagnets using transport measurements is challenging.
- Van der Waals semiconductors like MnPS3 provide a platform to investigate intrinsic magnetic properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the feasibility of using tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) to probe the magnetic state of MnPS3, an intralayer antiferromagnet.
- To determine if TMR measurements can provide information about magnetic ordering in few-layer and monolayer MnPS3.
- To explore the persistence of magnetic order in atomically thin MnPS3.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of tunnel barriers with atomically thin MnPS3 crystals.
- Measurement of magnetoresistance as a function of temperature (T) and magnetic field (H).
- Comparison of magnetoresistance behavior in thick multilayers and individual monolayers.
Main Results:
- Magnetoresistance was observed in MnPS3 multilayers below 78 K, correlating with the antiferromagnetic to spin-flop phase transition.
- This magnetoresistance effect persists in thinner crystals, down to the monolayer limit.
- Characteristic temperature and magnetic field scales for the magnetoresistance remained largely unchanged with decreasing thickness.
Conclusions:
- Tunnel magnetoresistance is a viable technique for probing the magnetic state of intralayer antiferromagnets like MnPS3.
- Magnetic order is robust and persists down to the single-layer limit in MnPS3.
- These findings pave the way for utilizing atomically thin antiferromagnets in future spintronic devices.
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