Tunable Magnetic Transition to a Singlet Ground State in a 2D van der Waals Layered Trimerized Kagomé Magnet.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 31310516.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acsnano.9b04392.
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Abstract
Incorporating magnetism into two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures is crucial for the development of functional electronic and magnetic devices. Here, we show that Nb<sub>3</sub>X<sub>8</sub> (X = Cl, Br) is a family of 2D layered trimerized kagomé magnets that are paramagnetic at high temperatures and undergo a first-order phase transition on cooling to a singlet magnetic state. X-ray diffraction shows that a rearrangement of the vdW stacking accompanies the magnetic transition, with high- and low-temperature phases consistent with scanning transmission electron microscopy images of the end members α-Nb<sub>3</sub>Cl<sub>8</sub> and β-Nb<sub>3</sub>Br<sub>8</sub>. The temperature of this transition is systematically varied across the solid solution Nb<sub>3</sub>Cl<sub>8-<i>x</i></sub>Br<sub><i>x</i></sub> (<i>x</i> = 0-8), with <i>x</i> = 6 having transitions near room temperature. The solid solution also varies the optical properties, which are further modulated by the phase transition. As such, they provide a platform on which to understand and exploit the interplay between dimensionality, magnetism, and optoelectronic behavior in vdW materials.