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Integrating spin glass dynamics into nanomechanical resonators

Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Spin glasses are non-equilibrium magnetic systems with pronounced slow relaxation, ageing, and chaotic, synaptic-like properties, whose unique history-dependent dynamics have remained difficult to harness in functional devices. Two-dimensional van der Waals spin-glass magnets offer a route to overcome this limitation by allowing controlled coupling between magnetic and mechanical degrees of freedom. Here, we demonstrate the integration of a spin-glass functionality in nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) using thin exfoliated NbFeTe$_2$ films, which establishes a robust spin-glass state down to a few tens of nanometer-thick layers. Using cryogenic magnetic force microscopy, we reveal characteristic slow, hour-scale macroscopic magnetic relaxation, associated with glassy reorganisation of its magnetic domain clusters. Incorporation of thin NbFeTe$_2$ into membrane resonators allows the transduction of this glassy magnetic domain relaxation into strain, shifting their mechanical resonance frequency. This provides a functional nanomechanical readout of spin-glass dynamics and establishes a versatile platform for integrating frustrated magnetism into NEMS.
DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2610.03891
Authors: Grebenchuk, S. Y., Savilov, T. M., Ho, Y. W., Grebenko, A. K., Kravtsov, M., Wolf, J. M., Litvinov, D. A., Yang, Z., Cai, P., Ramachandran, S., Duan, R., Zheng, L., Özyilmaz, B., Eda, G., Santos, E. J. G., Koperski, M., Novoselov, K. S., Šiškins, M.
Institutions: National University of Singapore, Institute for Functional Intelligent Materials, University of Edinburgh, Nanyang Technological University, Donostia International Physics Center, University of Southampton
Language: English
Open Access status: green
Funders: National Research Foundation, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Ministry of Education - Singapore, Ministry of Education, India, China Scholarship Council, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Office of Naval Research, Argonne National Laboratory, Office of Naval Research Global
Awards: G1088949837, G1482925484, G1729956932, G2223703398, EPCC Tier 2 HPC Service, G349116701, G3882347383, The UK Car-Parrinello HEC Consortium, G4016073923, G405969972, G5160977562, G5265111923, G5556308094, Two-Dimensional Magnetic Materials for the Next Generation of Functional Device Platforms (2DMagnete), G6353723091, G6689731777, G6854926366
OpenAlex ID: W7220705540
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