Magnetic phase tuning in patronite-based VS4 nanowires

Abstract

Magnetic semiconductors have the potential to push the boundaries of emerging technologies like spintronics. They could change the way we process and store data by leveraging not just the electron charges, but also their intrinsic spin. Materials with low dimensionality, specifically one- or two-dimensional materials, are key to this advancement. Within this category, one-dimensional semiconductors with either antiferromagnetic or ferromagnetic properties are particularly interesting for their electronic and magnetic properties. However, creating and maintaining stable ferromagnetic ordering in these semiconductors is not straightforward. There are significant challenges, such as issues due to the disorder of dopants in dilute magnetic semiconductors, or stability problems in two-dimensional magnetic materials like chromium triiodide (CrI3). In this work, we show a potential solution in VS4 nanowires, a one-dimensional material found in patronite minerals. These nanowires can have four magnetic orderings: two antiferromagnetic (AFM1 and AFM2), one ferrimagnetic (FI), and one ferromagnetic (FM) ordering, which we can access using different strains. We observe two magnetic phase transitions with strains in the plastic (non-linear) regime. The nanowire transitions from AFM1 to AFM2 with ɛz=6.8 %, and from AFM2 to FM with ɛz=11.8 %. This ability to tune the magnetic phases in a semiconductor material opens up a vast range of opportunities for their integration into spintronic devices. We believe that the range of magnetic phases in a one-dimensional semiconductor, like VS4 nanowires, could lead to the enhanced control of both charge and spin in nanotechnology devices.