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arXiv · 2303.00824

Proton-fluence dependent magnetic properties of exfoliable quasi-2D van der Waals Cr2Si2Te6 magnet

Hector Iturriaga·Ju Chen·Jing Yang·Luis M. Martinez·Martin Kirk·Lin Shao·Y. Liu·C. Petrovic·Srinivasa R. Singamaneni
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Abstract

The discovery of long-range magnetic ordering in atomically thin materials catapulted the van der Waals (vdW) family of compounds into an unprecedented popularity. In particular, with a current push in space exploration, it is beneficial to study how the properties of such materials evolve under proton irradiation. Owing to their robust intra-layer stability and sensitivity to external perturbations, these materials provide excellent opportunities for studying proton irradiation as a non-destructive tool for controlling their magnetic properties. Specifically, the exfoliable Cr2Si2Te6 (CST) is a ferromagnetic semiconductor with the Curie temperature (TC) of ~32 K. Here, we have investigated the magnetic properties of CST upon proton irradiation as a function of fluence (1 x 1015, 5 x 1015, 1 x 1016, 5 x 1016, and 1 x 1018 H+/cm2) by employing variable-temperature, variable-field magnetization measurements coupled with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and detail how the magnetization, magnetic anisotropy and EPR spectral parameters vary as a function of proton fluence across the magnetic phase transition. While the TC remains constant as a function of proton fluence, we observed that the saturation magnetization and magnetic anisotropy diverge at the proton fluence of 5 x 1016 H+/cm2, which is prominent in the ferromagnetic phase, in particular. This work demonstrates that proton irradiation is a feasible method for modifying the magnetic properties and local magnetic interactions of vdWs crystals, which represents a significant step forward in the design of future spintronic and magneto-electronic applications.

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Hector Iturriaga, Ju Chen, Jing Yang, Luis M. Martinez, Martin Kirk, Lin Shao, Y. Liu, C. Petrovic, Srinivasa R. Singamaneni. 2023-03-01. Proton-fluence dependent magnetic properties of exfoliable quasi-2D van der Waals Cr2Si2Te6 magnet. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.00824

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