Nonvolatile electrical control of 2D Cr₂Ge₂Te₆ and intrinsic half metallicity in multiferroic hetero-structures

The electrical control of two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals ferromagnets is a step forward for the realization of spintronic devices. However, using this approach for practical applications remains challenging due to its volatile memory. Herein, we adopt an alternative strategy, where the bistable ferroelectric switches (P↑ and P↓) of Sc₂CO₂ (SCO) assist the ferromagnetic states of Cr₂Ge₂Te₆ (CGT) in order to achieve non-volatile memories. Moreover, MXene SCO, being an aided layer in multiferroic CGT/SCO hetero-structures, also modifies the electronic properties of CGT to half metal by its polarized P↓ state. In contrast, the P↑ state does not change the semiconducting nature of CGT. Hence, non-volatile, electrical-controlled switching of ferromagnetic CGT can be engineered by the two opposite ferroelectric states of single layer SCO. Importantly, the magnetic easy axis of CGT switches from in-plane to out-of-plane when the direction of electric polarization of SCO is altered from P↓ to P↑.