Giant magnetic anisotropy in the atomically thin van der Waals antiferromagnet FePS3

TL;DR

This study uncovers a giant out-of-plane magnetic anisotropy in monolayer FePS3, revealing its potential for 2D spintronics and providing insights into the microscopic origin of magnetic order in vdW antiferromagnets.

Contribution

It demonstrates the presence of giant magnetic anisotropy and unquenched orbital moments in monolayer FePS3, linking spin-orbit entanglement to Ising magnetism in vdW antiferromagnets.

Findings

Giant out-of-plane magnetic anisotropy of 22 meV per Fe ion.

Unquenched magnetic orbital moments observed.

Spin-orbit entanglement explains Ising magnetism in FePS3.

Abstract

Van der Waals (vdW) magnets are an ideal platform for tailoring two-dimensional (2D) magnetism with immense potential for spintronics applications and are intensively investigated. However, little is known about the microscopic origin of magnetic order in these antiferromagnetic systems. We used X-ray photoemission electron microscopy to address the electronic and magnetic properties of the vdW antiferromagnet FePS3 down to the monolayer. Our experiments reveal a giant out-of-plane magnetic anisotropy of 22 meV per Fe ion, accompanied by unquenched magnetic orbital moments. Moreover, our calculations suggest that the Ising magnetism in FePS3 is a visible manifestation of spin-orbit entanglement of the Fe 3d electron system.