Van der Waals epitaxy of magnetic transition metal dihalides

There has been a growing interest in exploring two-dimensional (2D) materials beyond graphene. Starting from 2017, new platforms have been discovered with which magnetism at low dimensions is explored. The introduction of a variety of atomically thin magnetic crystals like transition metal dihalides (TMHs) has inspired efforts to not only understand the nature of magnetism but also to investigate the growth mechanism in these magnetic crystals. In this regard, nickel bromide and manganese iodide monolayer islands were grown on metallic substrates. I will show how Low Temperature Multimodal Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) imaging combined with Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM) and Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM) can reveal a ferromagnetic ground state persisting even in the monolayer regime. Occasionally, various phases have been formed giving rise to a reach variety of electronic structures as revealed by KPFM. These van der Waals materials are expected to open a wide range of possibilities for quantum applications.