Programmable Magnetic Hysteresis in Orthogonally-Twisted Two-Dimensional CrSBr Magnets via Stacking Engineering

TL;DR

This study demonstrates how stacking and twisting 2D CrSBr magnets can be used to engineer magnetic hysteresis and spin-reversal processes, enabling tunable magnetic memory and spin textures for spintronic applications.

Contribution

It introduces a method to control magnetic hysteresis in twisted CrSBr heterostructures by varying layer number and twist angle, combining experimental and micromagnetic simulation insights.

Findings

Magnetic hysteresis depends on twist angle and layer number.

Switching between volatile and non-volatile magnetic states is achievable.

Layer stacking and twisting enable control over magnetic reversal processes.

Abstract

Twisting two-dimensional van der Waals magnets allows the formation and control of different spin-textures, as skyrmions or magnetic domains. Beyond the rotation angle, different spin reversal processes can be engineered by increasing the number of magnetic layers forming the twisted van der Waals heterostructure. Here, we consider pristine monolayers and bilayers of the A-type antiferromagnet CrSBr as building blocks. By rotating 90 degrees these units, we fabricate symmetric (monolayer/monolayer and bilayer/bilayer) and asymmetric (monolayer/bilayer) heterostructures. The magneto-transport properties reveal the appearance of magnetic hysteresis, which is highly dependent upon the magnitude and direction of the applied magnetic field and is determined not only by the twist-angle but also by the number of layers forming the stack. This high tunability allows switching between volatile and non-volatile magnetic memory at zero-field and controlling the appearance of abrupt magnetic reversal processes at either negative or positive field values on demand. The phenomenology is rationalized based on the different spin-switching processes occurring in the layers, as supported by micromagnetic simulations. Our results highlight the combination between twist-angle and number of layers as key elements for engineering spin-switching reversals in twisted magnets, of interest towards the miniaturization of spintronic devices and realizing novel spin textures.