Tuning Magnetic Anisotropy in Two-Dimensional Metal–Semiconductor Janus van der Waals Heterostructures

Abstract

In the family of 2D materials, atomically thin magnetic systems are relatively new and highly exploitable. Understanding the spin symmetry in such materials has opened a new path toward controlling the magnetic texture. In this study, we have shown that the plethora of different interface formations in the Janus or pure metal–semiconductor-based van der Waals heterostructures 1T-VXY (X, Y = S, Se, Te)–Cr₂A₃B₃ (A, B = I, Cl, Br) allows us to explore and modify the spin–orbit and ligand–metal interactions to fine-tune magnetic anisotropy and different spin symmetries in these systems. We have utilized the interlayer interactions to modulate spin–orbit coupling (SOC) in heterolayers to regulate the magnetic anisotropy in such systems. We have compared systems with the same compositions and different interfaces, for example, Janus VSTe–Janus Cr₂I₃Br₃ and Janus VTeS–Janus Cr₂I₃Br₃, to show that the first one is an Ising ferromagnet, whereas the second one is an XY ferromagnet because of the SOC effect of the heavy ligand atoms.