Coexisting Magnetism, Ferroelectric, and Ferrovalley Multiferroic in Stacking-Dependent Two-Dimensional Materials

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) multiferroic materials have widespread application prospects in facilitating the integration and miniaturization of nanodevices. However, the magnetic, ferroelectric, and ferrovalley properties in one 2D material are rarely coupled. Here, we propose a mechanism for manipulating magnetism, ferroelectric, and valley polarization by interlayer sliding in a 2D bilayer material. Monolayer GdI₂ is a ferromagnetic semiconductor with a valley polarization of up to 155.5 meV. More interestingly, the magnetism and valley polarization of bilayer GdI₂ can be strongly coupled by sliding ferroelectricity, making these tunable and reversible. In addition, we uncover the microscopic mechanism of the magnetic phase transition by a spin Hamiltonian and electron hopping between layers. Our findings offer a new direction for investigating 2D multiferroic devices with implications for next-generation electronic, valleytronic, and spintronic devices.