Electrical switching in a magnetically intercalated transition metal dichalcogenide

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that the intercalated TMD Fe1/3NbS2 can be electrically switched between magnetic states at low temperatures, showing potential for low-power antiferromagnetic spintronic memory devices.

Contribution

It provides the first evidence of electronic switching in a magnetically intercalated TMD, highlighting its stability and robustness for spintronic applications.

Findings

Current densities of 10^4 A/cm^2 can reorient magnetic order.

Magnetic switching is stable over time and resistant to external magnetic fields.

Fe1/3NbS2 exhibits fully electronic switching in single crystal form.

Abstract

Recent advances in tuning the correlated behavior of graphene and transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have opened a new frontier in the study of many-body physics in two dimensions and promise exciting possibilities for new quantum technologies. An emerging field where these materials have yet to make a deep impact is the study of antiferromagnetic (AFM) spintronics - a relatively new research direction that promises technologies that are insensitive to external magnetic fields, fast switching times, and reduced crosstalk. In this study we present measurements on the intercalated TMD Fe1/3NbS2 which exhibits antiferromagnetic ordering below 42K. We find that current densities on the order of 10^4 A/cm^2 can reorient the magnetic order, the response of which can be detected in the sample's resistance. This demonstrates that Fe1/3NbS2 can be used as an antiferromagnetic switch with electronic "write-in" and "read-out". This switching is found to be stable over time and remarkably robust to external magnetic fields. Fe1/3NbS2 is a rare example of an AFM system that exhibits fully electronic switching behavior in single crystal form, making it appealing for low-power, low-temperature memory storage applications. Moreover, Fe1/3NbS2 is part of a much larger family of magnetically intercalated TMDs, some of which may exhibit the switching behavior at higher temperatures and form a platform from which to build tunable AFM spintronic devices.