Strain-induced high Curie temperature and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in a 2D ferromagnetic FePd₂Te₂ monolayer

Two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnetic (FM) materials hold great promise for advanced spintronic devices, particularly those featuring large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and high Curie temperature (T_c). Here, based on the first-principles calculations and Monte Carlo (MC) simulations, we examine the stability, electronic structure and magnetic properties of the FePd₂Te₂ at the 2D limit, whose nanosheets have been successfully exfoliated in experiments. Notably, the FePd₂Te₂ monolayer featuring one-dimensional (1D) Fe zigzag chains exhibits a T_c of 242 K, which is significantly higher than that of the bulk FePd₂Te₂ (93K). Strain engineering further enhances the T_c to 569 K under 5% compressive strain, driven by stronger FM coupling between the Fe atoms in the 1D zigzag chains. Furthermore, this compressive strain also results in a transformation of the MAE from the in-plane to the out-of-plane direction. Our work provides a valuable strategy to control both spin direction and the Curie temperature, which enables 2D FePd₂Te₂ to be applied in spintronic devices at room temperature, thereby establishing a more stable foundation for achieving superior performance.