Modulation of Metal and Insulator States in 2D Ferromagnetic VS₂ by van der Waals Interaction Engineering

TLDR

2D transition‑metal dichalcogenides are central to nanoelectronics, yet their predominant nonmagnetic nature limits spintronic progress. By engineering van der Waals gaps in 2D vanadium disulfide, the authors tune spin properties and bandgap, inducing intrinsic ferromagnetism with a small gap, while bond‑enlargement triggers a metal‑to‑semiconductor transition and bond‑compression induces metallization. The study demonstrates intrinsic magnetic ordering in pristine VS₂, establishing it as a ferromagnetic semiconductor and a versatile platform for manipulating charge and spin in 2D TMDCs for spintronic applications.

Abstract

2D transition‐metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are currently the key to the development of nanoelectronics. However, TMDCs are predominantly nonmagnetic, greatly hindering the advancement of their spintronic applications. Here, an experimental realization of intrinsic magnetic ordering in a pristine TMDC lattice is reported, bringing a new class of ferromagnetic semiconductors among TMDCs. Through van der Waals (vdW) interaction engineering of 2D vanadium disulfide (VS 2 ), dual regulation of spin properties and bandgap brings about intrinsic ferromagnetism along with a small bandgap, unravelling the decisive role of vdW gaps in determining the electronic states in 2D VS 2 . An overall control of the electronic states of VS 2 is also demonstrated: bond‐enlarging triggering a metal‐to‐semiconductor electronic transition and bond‐compression inducing metallization in 2D VS 2 . The pristine VS 2 lattice thus provides a new platform for precise manipulation of both charge and spin degrees of freedom in 2D TMDCs availing spintronic applications.