Monolayer antiferromagnetic NiPS3 exhibits new phase
•Used resonant second harmonic generation (SHG) micropolarimetry to detect antiferromagnetic correlations and track symmetry changes in the monolayer limit.
•While multilayer NiPS3 behaves like a 3D XXZ antiferromagnet, while monolayer NiPS3 enters a distinct 2D regime consistent with a BKT phase.
•Two successive magnetic transitions in monolayer NiPS₃: from a disordered state to an intermediate BKT-like phase, and then to a low-temperature clock-ordered antiferromagnetic phase with long-range order; a bilayer exhibits different behavior
•Temperature dependent symmetry changes observed in polarization resolved
•Atomistic Monte Carlo simulations link the observed behavior to six-fold magnetic anisotropy and pinning fields
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Six-state clock physics in an atomically thin antiferromagnet
Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials
This MRSEC brings together researchers from across science and engineering to create materials with new atomic-scale structures and functionalities, and to develop approaches for actively controlling and reconfiguring materials in real time.