Magnetic ordering and dynamics in monolayers and bilayers of chromium trihalides: atomistic simulations approach

TL;DR

This study uses atomistic simulations to explore the magnetic properties, spin structures, and excitations in monolayer and bilayer chromium trihalides, considering various interactions and external influences.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive atomistic simulation approach to analyze magnetic behaviors in CrI3, including effects of stacking, Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions, and external electric fields.

Findings

Identification of Curie temperatures for different configurations

Analysis of hysteresis curves and spin textures

Prediction of skyrmion formation under certain conditions

Abstract

We analyze magnetic properties of monolayers and bilayers of chromium trihalides, CrI$_3$, in two different stacking configurations: AA and rhombohedral ones. Our main focus is on the corresponding Curie temperatures, hysteresis curves, equilibrium spin structures, and spin wave excitations. To obtain all these magnetic characteristic, we employ the atomistic spin dynamics and Monte Carlo simulation techniques. The model Hamiltonian includes isotropic exchange coupling, magnetic anisotropy, and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. Though the latter is relatively weak in CrI$_3$, we consider a more general case assuming also an enhancement of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in the corresponding Janus structures and by external electric fields. An important issue of the analysis is the correlation between hysteresis curves and spin configurations in the system, as well as formation of the skyrmion textures.