Anomalous Nonlinear Magnetoconductivity in van der Waals Magnet CrSBr.

Abstract

Nonlinear magnetoconductivity (NLMC) is a nonreciprocal transport response arising in non-centrosymmetric materials. However, this ordinary NLMC signal vanishes at zero magnetic field, limiting its potential for applications. Here, the observation of an anomalous NLMC controlled by internal order parameters such as the magnetization or Néel vectors is reported. This response is achieved by breaking both inversion and time-reversal symmetry in artificial van der Waals heterostructures based on the magnetic CrSBr and insulating hBN. The nonreciprocal signal can be tuned between two different states in ferromagnetic monolayer CrSBr and among four different states in antiferromagnetic bilayer CrSBr, thanks to its metamagnetic transition. Remarkably, this output signal in the ferromagnetic (antiferromagnetic) state of CrSBr is three (one) orders of magnitude higher than those previously measured. A conductivity scaling analysis reveals the Berry connection polarizability as the origin of the anomalous NLMC. The results pave the way for high-frequency rectifiers with magnetically switchable output polarity as well as for an efficient electrical readout of the magnetic state of antiferromagnetic materials.