Medium-Entropy Engineering of Magnetism in Layered Antiferromagnet Cu_xNi_2(1-x)Cr_xP₂S₆

Authors

Dinesh Upreti, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Rabindra Basnet, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow
M. M. Sharma, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Santosh Karki Chhetri, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Gokul Acharya, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow
Md Rafique Un Nabi, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow
Joshua Sakon, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow
Mourad Benamara, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow
Mansour Mortazavi, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Jin Hu, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-2024

Keywords

Magnetism; Bimetallic strip

Abstract

Antiferromagnetic van der Waals-type M₂P₂X₆ compounds provide a versatile material platform for studying 2D magnetism and relevant phenomena. Establishing ferromagnetism in 2D materials is technologically valuable. Though magnetism is generally tunable via a chemical way, it is challenging to induce ferromagnetism with isovalent chalcogen and bimetallic substitutions in M₂P₂X₆. Here, we report co-substitution of Cu¹⁺ and Cr³⁺ for Ni²⁺ in Ni₂P₂S₆, creating Cu_xNi_2(1-x)Cr_xP₂S₆ medium-entropy alloys spanning a full substitution range (x = 0 to 1). Such substitution strategy leads to a unique evolution in crystal structure and magnetic phases that are distinct from traditional isovalent bimetallic doping, with Cu and Cr co-substitution enhancing ferromagnetic correlations and generating a weak ferromagnetic phase in intermediate compositions. This aliovalent substitution strategy offers a universal approach for tuning layered magnetism in antiferromagnetic systems, which along with the potential for light-matter interaction and high-temperature ferroelectricity, can enable multifunctional device applications.

Citation

Upreti, D., Basnet, R., Sharma, M. M., Chhetri, S., Acharya, G., Nabi, M., Sakon, J., Benamara, M., Mortazavi, M., & Hu, J. (2024). Medium-Entropy Engineering of Magnetism in Layered Antiferromagnet Cu_xNi_2(1-x)Cr_xP₂S_{6. Advanced Functional Materials, 2418722. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202418722}

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License