Spin-glass-like state induced by Mn-doping into a moderate gap layered semiconductor SnSe2

Abstract

Various types of magnetism can appear in emerging quantum materials such as van der Waals layered ones. Here, we report the successful doping of manganese atoms into a post-transition metal dichalcogenide semiconductor: SnSe2. We synthesized a single crystal Sn1−xMnxSe2 with x = 0.04 by the chemical vapor transport method and characterized it by x-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. The magnetic properties indicated a competition between coexisting ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions, from the temperature dependence of the magnetization, together with magnetic hysteresis loops. This means that magnetic clusters having ferromagnetic interactions within a cluster form and the short-range antiferromagnetic interaction works between the clusters; a spin-glass-like state appears below ∼60 K. Furthermore, we confirmed by ab initio calculations that the ferromagnetic interaction comes from the 3d electrons of the manganese dopant. Our results offer a new material platform to understand and utilize the magnetism in the van der Waals layered materials.