Multiferroic Two-Dimensional Materials

TL;DR

This study explores the emergence of multiferroic behavior in two-dimensional materials with Mexican-hat band dispersion, revealing a phase with simultaneous ferromagnetism and ferroelasticity driven by electronic structure effects.

Contribution

It demonstrates the link between Mexican-hat band edges and multiferroic phases in 2D materials using analytical and first-principles methods.

Findings

Identification of multiferroic phase in α-SnO monolayer

Correlation between van Hove singularity and symmetry breaking

Range of hole density inducing multiferroicity

Abstract

The relation between unusual Mexican-hat band dispersion, ferromagnetism and ferroelasticity is investigated using a combination of analytical, first-principles and phenomenological methods. The class of material with Mexican-hat band edge is studied using the $\alpha$-SnO monolayer as a prototype. Such band edge causes a van Hove singularity diverging with $\frac{1}{\sqrt{E}}$, and in p-type material leads to spatial and/or time-reversal spontaneous symmetry breaking. We show that an unexpected multiferroic phase is obtained in a range of hole density for which the material presents ferromagnetism and ferroelasticity simultaneously.