Exfoliation and van der Waals heterostructure assembly of intercalated ferromagnet Cr1/3TaS2

• Published in: 2d materials Vol. 4; no. 4
• Main Authors: Yamasaki, Yuji, Moriya, Rai, Arai, Miho, Masubuchi, Satoru, Pyon, Sunseng, Tamegai, Tsuyoshi, Ueno, Keiji, Machida, Tomoki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IOP Publishing 01.12.2017
• Subjects: ferromagnetism; intercalated material; transition metal dichalcogenide; tunnel magnetoresistance; van der Waals heterostructure
• ISSN: 2053-1583
• DOI: 10.1088/2053-1583/aa8a2b

Ferromagnetic van der Waals (vdW) materials are in demand for spintronic devices with all-two-dimensional-materials heterostructures. Here, we demonstrate mechanical exfoliation of magnetic-atom-intercalated transition metal dichalcogenide Cr1/3TaS2 from its bulk crystal; previously such intercalated materials were thought difficult to exfoliate. Magnetotransport in exfoliated tens-of-nanometres-thick flakes revealed ferromagnetic ordering below its Curie temperature TC ~ 110 K as well as strong in-plane magnetic anisotropy; these are identical to its bulk properties. Further, van der Waals heterostructure assembly of Cr1/3TaS2 with another intercalated ferromagnet Fe1/4TaS2 is demonstrated using a dry-transfer method. The fabricated heterojunction composed of Cr1/3TaS2 and Fe1/4TaS2 with a native Ta2O5 oxide tunnel barrier in between exhibits tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR), revealing possible spin injection and detection with these exfoliatable ferromagnetic materials through the vdW junction.