Viewpoint: On the Emergence of van der Waals Magnets: A Personal Reflection

TL;DR

This paper reflects on the development of van der Waals magnets, highlighting key discoveries of 2D antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic materials since 2016, and discusses future opportunities in the field.

Contribution

It provides a personal perspective on the experimental breakthroughs and the evolution of 2D magnetism research over the past decade.

Findings

Demonstration of antiferromagnetic order in monolayer FePS₃

Establishment of intrinsic magnetism as a degree of freedom in 2D materials

Historical overview of key discoveries in van der Waals magnets

Abstract

The observation of magnetism in atomically thin van der Waals (vdW) antiferromagnets (FePS$_3$, NiPS$_3$, and MnPS$_3$) in 2016 marked an important moment in the development of two-dimensional (2D) physics. In this personal reflection, I describe how a simple question, posed in the early 2010s, motivated experimental efforts that culminated in the demonstration of antiferromagnetic order in monolayer FePS$_3$. Alongside subsequent reports of vdW ferromagnets in 2017, these developments helped establish intrinsic magnetism as a viable degree of freedom in atomically thin materials. I close with personal lessons drawn from this period and a perspective on the opportunities that now shape the field's second decade and beyond.