Unveiling magnetism in individual CuCrP2S6 flakes by magnetic proximity effect

Two-dimensional (2D) multiferroic CuCrP2S6 shows great potential in nonvolatile devices, in which its possible magnetoelectric coupling also allows for spin manipulation using multiple degrees-of-freedom. However, local measurements on individual 2D CuCrP2S6 remain limited mainly due to its insulating nature at low temperature. Here, we report the experimental observation of anomalous Hall effect in the CuCrP2S6/few-layer graphene bilayer structures taking advantage of magnetic proximity effect. We find that the saturation field of anomalous Hall effect is significantly smaller than that of bulk CuCrP2S6, which is believed to result from the charge transfer between CuCrP2S6 and few-layer graphene. Density functional theory calculation further reveals that the coupling between CuCrP2S6 and few-layer graphene results in the exchange splitting in graphene. Our work not only sheds light on the magnetism of individual 2D CuCrP2S6 but also paves the way toward emerging 2D heterostructures for novel magnetoelectric coupling.

Automated summary

By taking advantage of magnetic proximity effect, we observed anomalous Hall effect in CuCrP2S6/few-layer graphene bilayer structures, with a significantly smaller saturation field compared to bulk CuCrP2S6. This smaller saturation field is believed to result from charge transfer between CuCrP2S6 and few-layer graphene. Density functional theory calculations further revealed exchange splitting in graphene due to the coupling between CuCrP2S6 and few-layer graphene. Our work sheds light on the magnetism of individual 2D CuCrP2S6 and paves the way for novel magnetoelectric coupling in emerging 2D heterostructures.