Designing frustration in two-dimensional magnetic systems via the application of uniaxial strain

Abstract

First principles are used and combined with Monte Carlo simulations to predict that the application of compressive uniaxial strains in two-dimensional $\mathrm{CrGe}{\mathrm{Te}}_{3}$ can tune the underlying magnetic parameters in such a way that the system undergoes a phase transition from ferromagnetic (FM) to antiferromagnetic (AFM) phases, with the border between these being a region of high frustration. Such latter region can be the playground for fine-tuning the system to exhibit exotic states. Moreover, we also show and explain that such uniaxial strains also dramatically tune the critical temperatures, namely N\'eel temperatures for the AFM phase and Curie temperatures for the FM phase, which is of obvious technological and fundamental significance.