Multiferroic materials based on transition-metal dichalcogenides: Potential platform for reversible control of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and skyrmion via electric field

TL;DR

This study uses first-principles calculations to propose bilayer transition metal dichalcogenides with intercalated magnetic atoms as a new platform for electric-field controlled topological magnetism, including skyrmions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel class of 2D multiferroic materials based on TMDs with electric-field tunable Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and skyrmion chirality.

Findings

Co intercalation induces degenerate DMI states with opposite chirality.

Electric polarization reversal controls skyrmion chirality.

Potential for electric-field manipulation of topological magnetism in 2D materials.

Abstract

Exploring novel two-dimensional multiferroic materials that can realize electric-field control of two-dimensional magnetism has become an emerging topic in spintronics. Using first-principles calculations, we demonstrate that non-metallic bilayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) can be an ideal platform for building multiferroics by intercalated magnetic atoms. Moreover, we unveil that with Co intercalated bilayer MoS2, Co(MoS2)2, two energetic degenerate states with opposite chirality of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) are the ground states, indicating electric-field control of the chirality of topologic magnetism such as skyrmions can be realized in this type of materials by reversing the electric polarization. These findings pave the way for electric-field control of topological magnetism in two-dimensional multiferroics with intrinsic magnetoelectric coupling.