Low-dimensional magnets for spin devices

Recent breakthroughs in low-dimensional magnetic materials are reshaping the landscape of spin-based device engineering, and spin-orbit torque (SOT) has emerged as a promising alternative for ultrafast memory applications. Despite significant progress, achieving external magnetic field-free switching of perpendicular magnetization with short current pulses, minimal incubation delay, and low energy consumption remains a critical obstacle for the practical realization of high-speed SOT devices. We demonstrate field-free, wafer-scale control of perpendicular magnetization in 2D CrTe₂ via SOTs from WTe₂, achieving switching at a low threshold current density (1.2×10⁶ A/cm²), significantly outperforming Pt-based controls [1]. In addition, we reveal above‑room‑temperature stabilization (up to 330 K) of a dense, zero‑field Néel‑type skyrmion lattice in non‑centrosymmetric Fe_3-xGaTe₂, driven by intrinsic Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction. Finally, we report deterministic, field‑free switching of perpendicular magnetization using a Mn₃Ir spin current source at room temperature through anisotropic spin Hall effect, harnessing out‑of‑plane polarized spin currents [3]. Collectively, these advances underscore the promise of low-dimensional ferromagnets and antiferromagnets, especially 2D van der Waals systems, chiral skyrmions, and antiferromagnetic spin Hall platforms, for creating scalable, energy-efficient SOT devices, non‑volatile memories, and skyrmionic logic systems.