Control of two-dimensional magnetism by structural and chemical engineering of van der Waals interfaces

Thesis topic details

General information

Organisation

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is a key player in research, development and innovation in four main areas :
• defence and security,
• nuclear energy (fission and fusion),
• technological research for industry,
• fundamental research in the physical sciences and life sciences.

Drawing on its widely acknowledged expertise, and thanks to its 16000 technicians, engineers, researchers and staff, the CEA actively participates in collaborative projects with a large number of academic and industrial partners.

The CEA is established in ten centers spread throughout France
  

Reference

SL-DRF-25-0505  

Direction

DRF

Thesis topic details

Category

Condensed Matter Physics, chemistry, nanosciences

Thesis topics

Control of two-dimensional magnetism by structural and chemical engineering of van der Waals interfaces

Contract

Thèse

Job description

2D materials exhibit tunable interlayer interactions due to weak van der Waals bonding, which influences magnetic ordering in 2D magnets. The stacking sequence and internal chemistry impact ferromagnetic (FM) or antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering, as seen in materials like CrBr3, CrI3, and Fe5GeTe2, where doping with Co raises the Curie temperature and alters magnetic phases. Chemical disorder also affects magnetic properties, with Mn/Sb substitution promoting FM ordering in Mn(Bi,Sb)2Te4. However, understanding how the atomic structure affects macroscopic magnetic properties remains limited due to the coexistence of metastable configurations. Precise control over stacking and chemical order is needed to harness 2D materials' magnetic and quantum properties. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), especially aberration-corrected STEM, is today one of the most powerful techniques, enabling atomic-scale imaging and spectroscopy, for studying structural and chemical properties of 2D materials. This PhD project aims to study the relationship between atomic structure, chemistry, and magnetic properties in epitaxial 2D layers like (Fe,Co)5GeTe2, combining growth via molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) with STEM-based structural and chemical analysis.

University / doctoral school

Ecole Doctorale de Physique de Grenoble (EdPHYS)
Université Grenoble Alpes

Thesis topic location

Site

Grenoble

Requester

Person to be contacted by the applicant

OKUNO Hanako hanako.okuno@cea.fr
CEA
DRF/IRIG//MEM
17 rue des Martyrs
38054 Grenoble cedex 9
04 38 78 20 73

Tutor / Responsible thesis director

OKUNO Hanako hanako.okuno@cea.fr
CEA
DRF/IRIG//MEM
17 rue des Martyrs
38054 Grenoble cedex 9
04 38 78 20 73

En savoir plus


https://www.mem-lab.fr/Pages/LEMMA/STEM.aspx
https://www.mem-lab.fr/LEMMA