Speaker
Description
The discovery of magnetism in atomically thin materials has opened an entirely new chapter in the study of low-dimensional quantum matter. Since the first reports of antiferromagnetic van der Waals magnets in 2016, followed by the discovery of ferromagnetic counterparts in 2017, the field has evolved into one of the most vibrant areas of condensed matter physics. In this talk, I will give a comprehensive overview of the key developments in the field of 2D vdW magnetism, drawing from my recent review.
I will begin with the historical and theoretical context, explaining why 2D magnetism was once thought to be impossible, and how recent materials have overcome these constraints. I will then discuss the rapidly expanding family of van der Waals magnets, their underlying spin Hamiltonians, and experimental platforms for probing magnetic excitations, chirality, and phase transitions. The talk will also highlight surprising phenomena such as magnetic excitons, Floquet-engineered states, and light-induced metastable phases.
On the application side, I will describe how these materials are being integrated into spintronic architectures, with progress toward reconfigurable memory, spin filters, and ultrafast switching devices. I will conclude with an outlook on key open questions, emerging directions, and the future for this still-young but rapidly maturing field.
References:
[1] J.-G. Park, J. Phys. Cond. Mat. 28, 301001 (2016)
[2] K. S. Burch, D. Mandrus and J-G. Park, Nature 563, 47 (2018)
[3] J-G Park, K Zhang, H Cheong, J H Kim, C A Belvin, D Hsieh, H Ning and N Gedik, submitted to Rev. Mod. Phys. arXiv:2505.02355
| Field of Condensed Matter | Magnetism |
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