A research lead by ICMol and BCMaterials selected as “Article of the Year”
A research lead by ICMol and BCMaterials on 2D magnetic materials selected as “Article of the Year” by the GEFES group of the RSEF
The Specialized Group of Solid State Physics (GEFES) of the Spanish Royal Society of Physics (RSEF) has selected a recent collaborative work published on Advanced Materials as its Article of the Year. The work investigates the strain engineering of the magnetic properties of the two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor CrSBr and is the result of a close collaboration between the 2D Smart Materials Lab at the Institute of Molecular Science (ICMol)—directed by José J. Baldoví—and the group led by Reyes Calvo at BCMaterials. The study is part of the PhD theses of Alberto M. Ruiz (ICMol) and Eudomar Henríquez-Guerra, first authors of the article, together with a team of experimentalists –including Marta Galbiati, Daniel Brown, Andrei Shumilin, Andrés Cantarero and Efrén Navarro-Moratalla from ICMol– from several Spanish institutions.
Why 2D magnets matter
2D magnetic materials have emerged as a powerful platform for exploring novel magnetic phenomena and for enabling future technologies in spintronics and information storage. Due to the atomically-thin nature of these materials, they can host unconventional and highly anisotropic magnetic phases, making them uniquely sensitive to external control.
Among them, CrSBr has become one of the most promising candidates. It is a 2D semiconductor that exhibits ferromagnetic order within each layer and antiferromagnetic coupling between layers, while also showing an unusual interplay between its optical and magnetic properties. CrSBr stands out because it can be exfoliated into ultrathin flakes, it is chemically stable in air, and displays tunable magnetic anisotropy, a key ingredient for spintronic devices.
A simple and powerful idea: controlling magnetism through strain
Besides the potential of 2D magnetic materials, their integration into real devices remains challenging. This is due to their low magnetic transition temperatures, and the precisely tuning of their magnetic properties is limited. In this highlighted research article, the authors introduced a remarkably simple yet effective strategy: they deposited atomically thin CrSBr flakes on a polymeric substrate with a large thermal expansion coefficient. When cooled, the polymer contracts and induces biaxial compressive strain on the CrSBr layers. This mechanical deformation modifies the crystal lattice and, in turn, the magnetic behavior of the material.
The team observed two major effects under compressive strain: a strong enhancement of magnetoresistance and a significant increase in the magnetic anisotropy. To understand the microscopic origin of these changes, the researchers combined Raman spectroscopy, magnetotransport measurements, and advanced first principles theoretical simulations. These calculations reveal that compressive strain modifies the interlayer magnetic coupling and alters the energetic landscape governing the orientation of atomic magnetic moments.
This study demonstrates that strain engineering offers a powerful route to tune the magnetic properties of 2D materials using simple, flexible substrates. The approach opens new avenues for integrating 2D magnets into practical, adaptable, and even flexible spintronic devices. The recognition by GEFES highlights both the scientific impact of the work and the strength of the collaboration between ICMol and Spanish groups working in the fabrication and characterization of advanced materials.
Link to the paper: https://advanced.
