Exploring ultra-thin CrI₃ for next-generation information technologies

Ultra-thin magnetic materials have established a new paradigm for spintronic applications starting from low power memory-logic devices to spin quantum dot and spin-FET for next-generation information technology. These materials shape the basis of energy efficient and high-speed devices through controlling, manipulating and modulating the spin configurations. Oftentimes influencing the spin states of these materials results in quantum phenomena such as structural anisotropies, spin-lattice interactions, spin-orbit couplings etc. Thus, studying these intrinsic effects in 2D limit is instrumental for establishing new frontiers in applications. In this ab-initio study, we have utilised CrI₃ as a prototypical 2D magnetic material to exhibit the sensitivity of intrinsic effects on their spin-polarized states. By manipulating stacking configurations and their structural anisotropies, we have demonstrated that it is possible to control the magnetic orderings. Furthermore, we attempt to fit these findings into a novel spin-lattice model to understand the mechanism of similar materials.