Multiferroic Phenomena in Two-Dimensional Materials

Multiferroic phenomena in two-dimensional materials encompass the coexistence and mutual control of two or more ferroic orders—most commonly ferroelectricity and magnetic order—within atomically thin lattices. Unlike bulk multiferroics, 2D systems offer unparalleled tunability through stacking, strain and proximity effects, enabling strong magnetoelectric coupling at reduced dimensionality. Research has revealed both intrinsic single‐phase 2D multiferroics and engineered heterostructures in which van der Waals interfaces mediate cross‐coupling between layers. These discoveries open routes to non-volatile memory elements, reconfigurable spintronic devices and low-power logic architectures. Advances in theory and high-resolution microscopy are unraveling domain dynamics, ferroelastic switching and quantum ferroelectricity in monolayers, while emerging p-electron systems and hybrid architectures extend functionality beyond traditional d-electron frameworks. Collectively, these studies underscore the global significance of 2D multiferroics for next-generation electronics, offering atom-scale control of electric and magnetic states in ultra-compact devices.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A seminal demonstration of two-dimensional multiferroicity employed a van der Waals heterostructure comprising ferromagnetic Cr₂Ge₂Te₆ and ferroelectric In₂Se₃ monolayers. First-principles calculations showed that reversing the ferroelectric polarisation in In₂Se₃ switches the magnetic ordering in the Cr₂Ge₂Te₆ layer and yields a switchable magnetic semiconductor. This all-atomic architecture achieves direct coupling between electric polarisation and magnetism, illustrating how stacking of complementary 2D crystals can produce reversible logic operations and advance low-dimensional spintronics.

Multiferroic Phenomena in Two-Dimensional Materials publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in multiferroic phenomena in two-dimensional materials across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Multiferroic: A material exhibiting two or more primary ferroic orders, typically ferroelectricity and magnetic order, within the same phase or structure.

Ferroelectricity: The property of a material to maintain a spontaneous electric polarisation that can be reversed by an applied electric field.

Ferromagnetism: The phenomenon in which electron spins align parallel to one another, resulting in a net magnetic moment even in the absence of an external field.

Magnetoelectric coupling: The interaction between electric polarisation and magnetic order, allowing one to be controlled or influenced by changes in the other.

Van der Waals heterostructure: A stack of two-dimensional materials held together by van der Waals forces, enabling interfaces with tailored electronic and magnetic properties.

References

1. Multiferroicity in atomic van der Waals heterostructures. Nature Communications (2019).
2. Control of Molecular Orbital Ordering Using a van der Waals Monolayer Ferroelectric. Advanced Materials (2023).
3. Switchable half-metallicity in A-type antiferromagnetic NiI2 bilayer coupled with ferroelectric In2Se3. npj Computational Materials (2022).
4. Ferroelectricity coexisted with p-orbital ferromagnetism and metallicity in two-dimensional metal oxynitrides. npj Computational Materials (2022).