Sliding multiferroics based on stacking order engineering of 2d materials

Sliding ferroelectricity has emerged as a means of expanding the bank of 2d ferroelectrics and offering a low energy barrier (~10meV/u.c.) to switch between polarization states [1-3]. Through artificial stacking of intrinsically non-polar 2d magnets, we aim to create a new class of materials that uniquely host sliding ferroelectricity, magnetism, and strong electron correlations. The polar stacking order is verified by the emergence of second harmonic generation well above the Néel temperature and robust magnetism is confirmed by magnetic circular dichroism measurements. By integrating the polar stacking order into dual-gated devices, we demonstrate electric field tunability of the magnetization at zero magnetic field, suggesting prominent magnetoelectric coupling in the polar stacking order and the potential to switch between distinct magnetic states with electric-field driven polarization switching. Our work is a step towards employing stacking engineering of 2d materials to create sliding multiferroics with low polarization switching barrier and prominent magnetoelectric coupling.

References

1. Fox, C.; Mao, Y.; Zhang, X.; Wang, Y.; Xiao, J. Chem. Rev. 2024, 124 (4), 1862–1898

2. Zhong, T.; Cheng, L.; Ren, Y.; Wu, M. Chemical Physics Letters 2023, 818, 140430

3. Wu, M.; Li, J. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2021, 118 (50), e2115703118