Work

Giant step-boundary-triggered nonlocal modulation of magnetization reversal in multi-stepped van der Waals ferromagnet Fe3GaTe2

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Control of magnetization reversal is crucial for spintronic memory and logic devices. Previous studies on two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) magnets have largely treated magnetic regions in isolation, leaving the roles of step boundaries comparatively unexplored. Here, we investigate step-boundary-triggered nonlocal modulation of magnetization reversal in multi-stepped Fe3GaTe2 using Kerr microscopy, Lorentz transmission electron microscopy, and micromagnetic simulations. Our results indicate that step boundaries can serve as preferential sites for premature nucleation, giving rise to two distinct regimes. In Type I, reversal initiated in a thicker region propagates rapidly across the step boundary, reducing the coercivity of an adjacent thinner region by up to 59.3%. In Type II, stripe domains originating from the thicker region progressively enter the thinner region, shifting its critical switching field polarity and transforming its hysteresis loop from square to slanted, accompanied by a transition in the dominant reversal mode from rapid domain-wall motion to stripe domain growth. Similar behavior in Fe3GeTe2 suggests that step-boundary-mediated modulation may occur more broadly in layered van der Waals ferromagnets. Our findings highlight step engineering as a potential non-invasive strategy for designing efficient and thermally stable vdW spintronic devices. Boundaries can serve as nucleation points for magnetic domains, influencing the switching behavior. Here, Chen, Liu, Zhang, Chen and co-authors study magnetization reversal from stepped boundaries in van der Waals magnets, finding two distinct regimes of switching.

Source: Nature Communications

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-78522-9