Magnetization-dependent and stacking-tunable Edelstein effect in two-dimensional magnet 2H-VTe2

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that the Edelstein effect in 2H-VTe2, a 2D magnetic semiconductor, is intrinsically dependent on magnetization orientation and stacking configuration, enabling tunable spintronic functionalities.

Contribution

The paper reveals the magnetization-dependent and stacking-tunable Edelstein effect in 2H-VTe2 through first-principles calculations and symmetry analysis.

Findings

Edelstein effect in 2H-VTe2 depends on magnetization orientation.

Stacking configuration (AB or BA) influences additional spin components.

Reversible switching of spin components achieved by interlayer sliding.

Abstract

The Edelstein effect in magnetic systems enables magnetization switching via the coupling between current-induced spin accumulation and intrinsic magnetic order, and is therefore highly promising for next-generation spintronic devices. Realizing and manipulating the Edelstein effect in two-dimensional (2D) magnetic systems is particularly desirable for achieving high-efficiency and multifunctional spintronic applications. In this work, based on first-principles calculations and symmetry analysis, we demonstrate that the Edelstein effect can intrinsically arise in the 2D in-plane ferromagnetic semiconductor 2H-VTe2, with its behavior strongly dependent on the magnetization orientation. For monolayer 2H-VTe2 with D3h crystal symmetry, under an applied current along the +x direction, only the time-reversal-even z component and the time-reversal-odd y(x) component of the spin accumulation are allowed when the magnetization is aligned along +x (+y). For ferromagnetic bilayer 2H-VTe2 in AB or BA stacking, where the crystal symmetry is reduced to C3v, additional spin components emerge with the presence of in-plane magnetization. Specifically, for magnetization along +x (+y), besides dSz_even and dSy_odd (dSz_even and dSx_odd), extra components such as dSy_even and dSz_odd (dSy_even) become allowed. Notably, these additional components can be reversibly switched by changing the stacking configuration from AB to BA via interlayer sliding. Our results not only deepen the understanding of current-induced spin accumulation in 2D magnetic systems from both symmetry and first-principles perspectives, but also identify 2H-MX2 materials as a promising platform for realizing intrinsic and tunable Edelstein effects in high-efficiency spin-orbit torque devices.