Multifold enhancement in magnetization of atomically thin Cobalt Telluride

TL;DR

This study demonstrates a significant enhancement in magnetization of atomically thin Cobalt Telluride (CoTe) synthesized via liquid-phase exfoliation, with potential implications for spintronic and biomedical applications.

Contribution

The paper reports the scalable synthesis of 2D CoTe with over 400 times increased magnetization and provides theoretical insights into its high magnetic behavior.

Findings

Over 400-fold increase in magnetic saturation in 2D CoTe

2D CoTe exhibits semiconducting properties with high energy absorption

DFT calculations explain the origin of enhanced magnetism

Abstract

Magnetism in semiconductor two-dimensional (2D) materials is gaining popularity due to its potential application in memory devices, sensors, spintronic and biomedical applications. Here, 2D Cobalt Telluride (CoTe) has been synthesized from its bulk crystals using a simple and scalable liquid-phase exfoliation method. The atomically thin CoTe shows over four hundred times enhancement in its magnetic saturation values compared to the bulk form. The UV-Vis absorption spectra reveal superior absorption in the high energy region, suggesting a semiconducting nature. Furthermore, we explain bandgap and origin of high magnetic behavior by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The 2D CoTe shows a larger magnetism compared to bulk CoTe due to the reduced coordination number of the surface atoms, shape anisotropy and surface charge effect.