Electrical detection of the spin-flop and room-temperature magnetic ordering in van der Waals CrPS$_{4}$/(Pt, Pd) heterostructures

TL;DR

This study demonstrates electrical detection of spin-flop transitions and room-temperature magnetic ordering in CrPS$_{4}$ heterostructures with Pt and Pd, revealing interface-induced magnetic phenomena and potential topological effects.

Contribution

It provides new insights into magnetic ordering and spin-flop detection in van der Waals antiferromagnets via heterostructure magneto-transport measurements.

Findings

Detection of spin-flop transition via transverse resistance

Enhanced magnetic ordering temperature above 300 K

Observation of topological Hall effect in CrPS$_{4}$/Pd devices

Abstract

We study magneto-transport in heterostructures composed of the van der Waals antiferromagnet CrPS$_{4}$ and the heavy metals Pt and Pd. The transverse resistance (R$_{xy}$) signal reveals the spin-flop transition of CrPS$_{4}$ and a strongly enhanced magnetic ordering temperature (>300 K), which might originate from a strong spin-orbit coupling at the interface. While CrPS$_{4}$/Pt devices allow for easy detection of the spin-flop transition, CrPS$_{4}$/Pd devices show a more substantial enhancement in magnetic ordering temperature and exhibit a topological Hall effect signal, possibly related to chiral spin structures at the interface. The longitudinal magnetoresistance (R$_{xx}$) results from a combination of spin-Hall magnetoresistance and the negative magnetoresistance that can be explained by a field-induced change of the electronic band structure of CrPS$_{4}$.