Engineering spin-orbit effects and Berry curvature by deposition of a monolayer of Eu on WSe2

Abstract

Motivated by recent progress in two-dimensional (2D) spintronics, we present a monolayer of Eu deposited on $1\mathrm{H}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{W}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ as a promising platform for engineering spin-orbit effects and Berry curvature. By first-principles calculations based on density functional theory, we show that $\mathrm{Eu}/\mathrm{W}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ exhibits intriguing properties such as high magnetic anisotropy, valley-dependent polarization of spin and orbital angular momenta, and Rashba textures. These originate from magnetic and spin-orbit proximity effects at the interface and the interplay between localized $4f$ magnetic moments of Eu and mobile charge carriers of Eu and $\mathrm{W}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$. The analysis of the magnetic properties reveal a ferromagnetic configuration with an out-of-plane easy axis of the magnetization, which favor a pronounced anomalous Hall effect in the proposed system. Thus, we promote $4f$ rare-earth metals deposited on top of a transition-metal dichalcogenides as a promising platform for 2D spintronics.