Interfacial magnetic coupling in CrI3/CrBr3 heterostructures via tunneling magnetoresistance
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: vdW heterostructures. Experimentally, we observe complex tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) behaviors, including multi-step jumps and asymmetric hysteresis, with their magnetic origins confirmed through temperature-dependent measurements. Theoretically, we develop a one-dimensional (1D) spin-chain model that successfully reproduces the TMR characteristics, unveiling the synergistic role of interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI, ∼10.8 μeV) and ferromagnetic exchange (∼13.5 μeV) in governing magnetic configurations. We find that interfacial DMI, driven by broken inversion symmetry, induces spin canting in the ferromagnetic layers, profoundly influencing TMR behavior. This work not only provides a novel physical framework for understanding interfacial coupling in vdW magnetic heterostructures but also charts a pathway for designing multi-state memory devices through interfacial engineering.
Source: iScience
Authors: Binglan Wu, Yushu Wang, Yi Ren, Chao Zhou, Sunan Ding, Xin Chen, Gen Long
Institutions: Nanjing University, Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,240
OpenAlex ID: W7124980263