"Probing Emergent Phenomena in Layered Magnets"

Presented by: Dr. Zhong Lin, Assistant Professor

Physics, Applied Physics and Astronomy

Materials Science and Engineering

Binghamton University, State University of New York

Magnetism is a cornerstone of modern information technology, from data storage to sensing. The recent rise of van der Waals (vdW) magnets has opened a new frontier in this field, allowing us to push magnetism into the ultimate two-dimensional (2D) regime. These atomically thin magnets offer significant tunability and a rich platform where spin, charge, lattice, and topology can couple, giving rise to a wide range of emergent phenomena.

In this talk, I will showcase the rich physics offered by 2D antiferromagnetic insulators. First, I will describe how magnetism can be intricately coupled to topology, leading to novel quantum states. Second, I will discuss the observation of a lateral exchange bias effect, a phenomenon directly enabled by the even-odd layer-dependent magnetic order inherent in certain 2D antiferromagnets. Finally, I will describe our recent efforts in probing and understanding the crucial role of spin-lattice coupling in transition metal phosphorus trichalcogenides.